sudan uprising
Sudan Uprising
Rufaro Samanga
Jul. 17, 2019 06:39AM EST
Àshraf Shazly/Getty Images

Sudan's Ruling Military and Civilians Have Signed a Power-Sharing Deal

After months of deadly protests, both parties have finally reached an agreement.

TheBBC reports that a power-sharing deal has been signed between the ruling Transition Military Council (TMC) and protest leaders representing the Sudanese people. The deal, which confirms an agreement made earlier this month, will see the military ruling for the first 21 months and power then transferred to civilians for the 18 months leading up to elections.

This power-sharing deal comes just a few days after thousands of protesters took to the streets in "Justice First" rallies and held night vigils in remembrance of over 100 protesters who were killed during the military-led deadly crackdown of June 3rd.

There have been continued talks between the TMC and protest leaders after civilians demanded that the military cede power over to them. However, the military has controversially stood by their stance that their rule is only to ensure that "order is maintained" and that threats to the country's security are minimized.

Back in April, protesters rejected the two-year power-transfer deal and resumed protests which ultimately saw the violent dispersal of protesters in Khartoum by the military.

According to IOL, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo of the TMC has referred to the signing of the deal as a "historic" moment and Ethiopian mediator Mohamoud Dirir called it a "great moment for the people of Sudan", some protesters feel aggrieved by the fact that the same military which has killed well over 100 Sudanese civilians, will retain power at the beginning of this deal.

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News Brief
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Kenyan Senator Sparks Debate About "Period Shaming"

Kenyan Senator Gloria Orwoba received opposition from colleagues after pulling off a stunt to raise awareness around "period stigma."

A Kenyan senator was relieved from her duties at the Kenyan parliament after attending a Senate hearing session wearing a white suit stained with red, in what was a menstrual activism campaign.

The senator is Gloria Orwoba and she is a part of the ruling coalition. On Tuesday afternoon, she was due to table a motion on a bill that would give out free sanitary pads to some of Kenya's underprivileged. During the session, Kenyan senators disrupted Tuesday’s afternoon senate session to draw the Speaker’s attention to Orwoba’s “inappropriate dress code."

In response to the allegations, Orwoba protested that it was unbecoming for members of the parliament to call her out because she was on her menstrual cycle.

“I am shocked that someone can stand here and say that the House has been disgraced because a woman has had her periods,” Orwoba said.

In response to her comment, Amason Kingi, Speaker of the Senate of Kenya, asked Orwoba to change her outfit before returning to the chambers.

“Having periods is never a crime… Senator Gloria, I sympathize with you that you are going through the natural act of menstruation, you have stained your wonderful suit, I’m asking you to leave so that you go change and come back with clothes that are not stained,” Kingi said, according to BBC.

According to The Star, the stain was artificial coloring, and not blood.

While talking to BBC, Orwoba said that she was proud of the stance she took in an effort to dismantle period shame.

"Since I am always advocating against period shame, I thought I should go ahead and walk the talk," Orwoba said.

Following the incident, several senators criticized her stance, stating that it was not appropriate.

Tabitha Mutinda, an active member of the senate stated that she found Orwoba's conduct uncomfortable and inappropriate.

"You don't understand if she's on the normal woman cycle or she's faking it, and it is so indecent," Mutinda said before adding that there were better ways to address the issue.

Orwoba is advocating for a motion that increase government funding for free female hygiene products and menstrual pads in all public schools, and end "period stigma." The incident at the senate building was apart of her advocacy.

In an interview with Hot 96 FM in Kenya, Orwoba said she has received hateful comments on social media since her act. So much so that she talked about stepping away from social media.

“This thing of having thick skin is not for the faint-hearted. In fact, I am really contemplating leaving Twitter…that whole cyber-bullying has gotten to me. It’s intense and it gets to you,” Orwoba said.

Sudan Uprising
Photo: Romy Arroyo Fernandez/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Cultural Aftermath of the Sudanese Revolution

Women artists continue to create their work in a country where their cries for freedom and justice for all have still gone unheard.

When millions of Sudanese people marched in uproar against their president Omar al-Bashir in late 2018, they chanted a slogan that channeled the frustrations of young people living under the former military officer's harsh 30-year rule. Four years later, Sudanese women, a number of whom played a crucial galvanizing role in the uprising against al-Bashir, still live in a country that has not fulfilled the hopes and wishes that many died for.

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News Brief
Photo Credit: Getty

South African Protests Breakout Over Uganda’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Law

South Africans swarmed the streets of Pretoria and Cape Town to protest Uganda’s recent LGBTQ ban.

A crowd of South Africans swarmed the streets of Pretoria and Cape Town to protest Uganda’s new controversial law concerning the LGBTQ+ community on Friday (March 31). During their protest on Friday, South African allies called on Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni, not to sign off on the law.

According to Reuters, there were about 100 at the demonstration at Pretoria, which took place outside the United Nations Information Centre. Papa De DeLovie Kwagala, one of the protesters on the scene, and Ugandan LGBTQ rights activist said:

"World leaders should put pressure on Museveni to not sign the bill because it's not only a Ugandan issue, it is an African continent issue."

South Africans protest Uganda's anti-LGBTQ lawwww.youtube.com

Earlier in March, Uganda lawmakers passed a law that would make it illegal for people to openly claim to be affiliated with the LGBTQ+ community. Although Uganda is one of the numerous African countries that have declared same-sex relationships illicit, it would be the first country to legally ban identifying as LGBTQ+.

If it is set in motion, Uganda’s new law will subject members of the LGBTQ+ to closer scrutiny, and life imprisonment. The East African country’s legislature will also target people who aid and abet homosexuality.

South Africa has had a long history of LGBTQ+ activism. In 1994, it became the first country in Africa—and the fifth in the world—to legalize same-sex marriage. In spite of its allyship, South African LGBTQ+ members also face discrimination and violence.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of protests by the LGBTQ+ community in South Africa. In 2021, members of the community spoke out about the increasing homophobic attacks that they were receiving.

Music Brief
Image courtesy of We Talk Sound

Davido's 'Timeless' is Getting Rave Reviews on Social Media

The Nigerian singer's first full project in three years has reminded fans why he's one of the best in the game.

Nigerian Afrobeats champion Davidoreleased his highly anticipated fourth studio album Timeless on Friday, and the world is already eating it up. The singer-songwriter's project has set numerous records in the less than 24 hours since its release, namely being the first African album to hit No. 2 on Apple Music's Top Albums chart, as well as hitting over seven million streams in the 20 hours since it was released on African-focused Boomplay.

The 17-track album boasts a variety of features and sounds that highlight the journey the singer has taken over his 11-year career and has pleased fans across the spectrum and the world. Davido called on Beninese legend Angelique Kidjo, Nigerians Asake, The Cavemen, as well as new Davido Music Worldwide signees Morravey and Logos Olori to bring life to the well-received album. Musical comrades Lojay, Ckay, Mayorkun, and more have all taken to their socials to share their support for the singer and his delectable release.

When the album dropped, the singer reached out to his fans via Instagram writing: "At long last – WE are back. The journey from my last album to this album has been a whirlwind, to say the least. I recall sitting and staring over the ocean not too long ago, wondering if I could get here again, after all I’ve been through… but with your love and support, we made it. I’m not sure what comes after this but I wanted to give you my heart, soul, and energy. Today I present you “TIMELESS". ⏳"

The singer's release set the internet ablaze as fans shared their reactions with each other online

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