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One killed, six injured as Sudanese forces fire live ammunition at student protesters in El Geneina

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The Government of Sudan must condemn in the strongest terms the excessive use of force by its police and security forces in El Geneina, West Darfur on Sunday 7 January and conduct an immediate independent and impartial investigation into the death of one student and injury of six others and hold those responsible to account, said African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, ACJPS.

Mega Icon Magazine learnt that on 7 January 2018 at 10 AM, in Al Madaris neighborhood, El Geneina, hundreds of secondary school students organized a peaceful procession to condemn the increase of the price of bread. As the students marched towards the office of the state governor, located close to the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) office, they came across a fleet of armored vehicles of the joint forces of NISS, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Police who fired live ammunition into the crowd to disperse them. Seven students sustained gunshot wounds, one of whom was shot in the chest and died on spot. According to eyewitness accounts, the deceased is said to have been shot by an officer of the RSF. The RSF is a paramilitary government force under the command of the NISS.

In Sudan, the police are in charge of policing demonstrations, however, in some cases, the NISS and armed forces have concurrent powers during demonstrations as provided by article 6 (2) of the Armed Forces Act 2007 and article 50 (1) of the National Security Act 2010. The use of force to disperse assemblies is authorized in the Criminal Procedure Act 1991 and the Police Act 2008. In a news article by BBC, Babikir Digna, the Sudanese Minister of State for Internal Affairs is quoted to have said that the authorities would deal firmly with any acts of sabotage and chaos.

All seven students were taken to El Geneina hospital for medical attention. The six injured students are currently at El Geneina hospital receiving medical treatment.

Name of the deceased:

Alzubair Ahmed Alsukairan, 19 years old, a student at Noor Almaarif secondary school, from Alnaseem neighbourhood.

Names of injured persons who sustained gunshot wounds:

Issam Basshir Yahia, (m), 15 years old, secondary school student, lives in Umdewin, sustained gunshot wound on his arm.

Muhammad Salih Abdullah, (m), 16 years old secondary school student, lives in Alkifah neighborhood, sustained gunshot wound on his leg.

Ibrahim Aboot Yousif, (m), 15 years old, secondary school student, lives in Aljabel neighborhood, sustained gunshot wound.

Azza Hamdan, (f) 15 years old, secondary school student, lives in Alsafia neighborhood, sustained gunshot wound on her arm.

Safa Altigani Khalil Suleiman, (f), 15 years old, secondary school student, lives in Alsafia neighborhood, sustained gunshot wound on her thigh.

Albdulhaleem Salih Zain Alabideen, (m), 16 years old, secondary school student, lives in Alshaty neighborhood, sustained gunshot wound on his head.

At about 3 PM, a number of people gathered at the hospital to receive the body of the deceased for the arranged funeral ceremony however the police fired tear gas at the crowd and only allowed the family of the deceased to receive the body.

The Minister of Education for West Darfur issued a decree suspending study for all students of primary and secondary schools for a week, beginning 7 January until 14 January.

ACJPS reiterates its calls for the security forces responsible for killing and injuring protesters to be held to account. Sudan should stop violently suppressing protests and demonstrations and guarantee the right to freedom of expression, association and assembly, as provided under Sudanese and international law. The Government of Sudan should ensure that security forces carry their mandate in accordance with the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. Ensure in particular that security forces refrain from using excessive and disproportionate force against demonstrators and that reports of such violations are thoroughly and independently investigated with a view to bringing those responsible to justice promptly.

Background

The Government of Sudan increased the import dollar rate from 6.7 Sudanese pounds to 18 Sudanese pounds. As a result of this, prices on basic commodities drastically increased to double or triple the price. The first attempt by the Government to increase the import dollar rate occurred in November 2016 which resulted into a call for civil disobedience from the Sudanese public.

Over the years, a deteriorating economy and other austerity measures have fuelled popular discontent amongst the Sudanese people, leading to a surge in demonstrations across the country. These demonstrations have been met with excessive use of force by authorities to disperse protests and public gathering in recent years.  The unnecessary use of force by authorities to suppress protests has resulted into killing and injuring of many protestors.

In September 2017, ACJPS documented the killing of at least five people and injury of 29 others after Sudanese forces opened live ammunition on a crowd of protestors at Kalma camp of internally displaced persons in Nyala, South Darfur on 22 September, shortly before a planned visit by President Omar al-Bashir.

In January 2016, at least seven people, including one child, were killed when security forces opened live ammunition at a crowd of protestors outside the West Darfur state governor’s office. The crowd had gathered to demand protection after the nearby village of Mouli was looted and burned to the ground. The following day, three people were killed and seven others sustained gunshot wounds when security forces again fired live ammunition at the funeral for the deceased.

In September 2013, at least 185 people were killed around the country when government forces shot at anti-austerity protestors. Human rights defenders and victims’ rights groups calling for justice and accountability for the 2013 protest killings were subjected to arbitrary arrests and harassment

The protest killings have taken place in a climate of total impunity. Immunities provided in law to government officials, including members of the NISS, SAF and the police have prevented effective investigations into allegations of the excessive use of force and resulted in a lack of prosecutions for the perpetration of these and other human rights violations. This includes the failure, three years on, to hold anyone to account for the killing of 185 people during the protests in 2013.

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Iran War Disrupts Oil Supply, Global Loss Hits $50bn

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The global oil market has recorded losses exceeding $50bn following massive supply disruptions triggered by the ongoing Iran war, which has now stretched to nearly 50 days.

Data from energy analytics firm Kpler showed that more than 500 million barrels of crude oil and condensate have been wiped off the global market since the crisis began in late February, making it the largest energy supply disruption in modern history.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, on Friday said the Strait of Hormuz had been reopened after a ceasefire agreement reached in Lebanon.

However, tensions escalated again on Saturday as Tehran warned it could shut the strategic waterway if the United States sustains its blockade of Iranian ports.

Also, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism that a deal to end the conflict could be reached “soon,” although he did not provide a definite timeline.

Analysts warned that the scale of disruption could have prolonged effects on global energy stability, with shocks expected to linger for months or even years.

Providing context, Principal Analyst at Wood Mackenzie, Iain Mowat, said the 500 million barrels lost is equivalent to grounding global aviation demand for 10 weeks, halting all road transport worldwide for 11 days, or shutting down the entire global oil supply for five days.

Further estimates showed that the lost volume is nearly equal to one month of oil demand in the United States or more than a month’s supply for Europe. It also represents about six years of fuel consumption by the U.S. military and could power global shipping activities for approximately four months.

The crisis has significantly affected oil-producing nations in the Gulf, with output losses reaching about eight million barrels per day in March—roughly equivalent to the combined production of two of the world’s largest oil companies.

Jet fuel exports from major producers, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, dropped sharply from 19.6 million barrels in February to just 4.1 million barrels recorded across March and April combined. Analysts said the shortfall could have powered about 20,000 round-trip international flights.

With crude prices averaging around $100 per barrel since the onset of the conflict, the lost volumes translate to an estimated $50bn in revenue. Experts noted that this figure is equivalent to about one per cent of Germany’s annual Gross Domestic Product, or roughly the size of the economies of smaller European countries.

Meanwhile, global onshore crude inventories have declined by about 45 million barrels in April alone, while total production outages have risen to approximately 12 million barrels per day since late March.

Industry experts cautioned that unless a lasting resolution is reached, the disruption could intensify volatility in global oil markets, worsen inflationary pressures, and further strain fragile economies worldwide.

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Oseni Secures Prestigious City People Political Award Nomination

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A member of the House of Representatives representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Aderemi Oseni, has been nominated for a Special Award in Politics at the 2026 City People Political Awards.

The nomination was conveyed in a letter dated April 13, 2026, signed by the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of City People Magazine, Seye Kehinde.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by Oseni’s media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday.

According to the statement, the lawmaker earned the nomination in recognition of his “outstanding contributions to politics in Oyo State, particularly in Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency.”

The organisers noted that Oseni emerged as a nominee following a comprehensive review of performances across sectors by the award’s selection committee.

Part of the letter read, “Having performed creditably well in your sector last year, the Organising Committee presented you as a nominee in your sector.”

The award ceremony is scheduled to hold on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at Etal Hall, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, at 4pm.

The City People Awards is an annual event that recognises individuals who have distinguished themselves in governance, public service and other sectors of national development.

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Kaduna Electric to prosecute, expose attackers of staff

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The Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company has announced a crackdown on individuals who assault its staff, warning that offenders will face prosecution and public exposure.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the company expressed concern over what it described as a “disturbing surge” in attacks on its field workers and third-party partners.

It noted that the affected personnel were mainly engaged in meter installation, revenue collection and maintenance of electricity infrastructure.

According to the firm, the increasing cases of harassment, physical assault and unlawful detention of its workers pose a serious threat to employee safety and the stability of electricity service delivery across its franchise areas.

The Deputy Managing Director, Abubakar Mohammed, said the company would no longer tolerate any form of aggression against its workforce.

“Let this serve as a clear warning to anyone who engages in the assault of our staff. Kaduna Electric will pursue every case to its logical conclusion,” he said.

“We will work closely with security agencies to ensure offenders are brought to justice and face the full weight of the law,” Mohammed added.

He further disclosed that the company would publicly reveal the identities of individuals found culpable.

According to him, names, photographs and other details of offenders would be published on the company’s official platforms as well as in national and local media.

“This measure is intended to ensure accountability and serve as a strong deterrent. Anyone who chooses to attack our personnel should be prepared not only to face prosecution but also public exposure,” he added.

The company stressed that assaults on utility workers attract serious legal and financial consequences, noting that offenders risk criminal charges that may lead to fines or imprisonment.

It added that perpetrators could also face civil liabilities, including compensation for medical treatment, psychological trauma and loss of work hours.
While condemning the attacks, Kaduna Electric urged customers to adopt peaceful and lawful means of resolving disputes.

It advised aggrieved customers to channel complaints through its customer service units or appropriate regulatory bodies.

The management reaffirmed its commitment to protecting its workforce and partners, stressing that a safe working environment is essential for delivering reliable and efficient electricity services.

Although disputes between electricity providers and consumers are often linked to billing issues, metering challenges and service delivery concerns, the company maintained that such matters must be resolved through dialogue, insisting that violence against its staff will no longer be tolerated.

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