Fierce battle for control of arms depot in Khartoum

Fierce battle for control of arms depot in Khartoum
Above, a Sudanese armored personnel carrier in southern Khartoum amidst ongoing fighting on June 7, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 09 June 2023
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Fierce battle for control of arms depot in Khartoum

Fierce battle for control of arms depot in Khartoum
  • Fighting continues despite Sudan paramilitaries’ claim to have taken control of vital weapons factory

JEDDAH: Sudanese regular army soldiers and their paramilitary rivals were fighting a bitter battle on Thursday for control of a vital weapons factory and arms depot in Khartoum.

The fighting came a day after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces claimed to have taken “full control” of the complex in Yarmouk, the most important military industrial facility in Sudan.

The paramilitaries said soldiers had fled the site, leaving behind large quantities of military equipment and vehicles. They posted video footage online claiming to show their fighters celebrating inside the facility, with weapons including machineguns and large quantities of ammunition in the background.

Establishing the accurate situation was complicated by a massive fire at Al-Shajara oil and gas plant near Yarmouk that broke out overnight on Wednesday. Residents heard a loud explosion at the plant, where fierce fighting has been underway for the past couple of days. Plumes of smoke rose from the site on Thursday morning and could be seen from 10 kilometers away.

Sudan has been embroiled in a deadly conflict since mid-April, when fighting erupted between army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the paramilitaries.

Violence has spread across the country, most notably in the western region of Darfur, which is home to around a quarter of Sudan’s population and has never recovered from a devastating two-decade war that left hundreds of thousands dead and more than 2 million displaced.

Since fighting broke out in Sudan on April 15, more than 1,800 people have been killed.


Syria slams US ‘terrorist war’ in UN address

Syria slams US ‘terrorist war’ in UN address
Updated 7 sec ago
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Syria slams US ‘terrorist war’ in UN address

Syria slams US ‘terrorist war’ in UN address
  • Washington spent ‘billions of dollars’ to ‘demolish and destroy’ Syrian achievements, says vice FM
  • Damascus will push for independent Palestine, return of Golan ‘no matter how long it takes’

NEW YORK: The US launching a “terrorist war” in Syria has led to “creative American chaos” and destabilization in the Middle East, Syria’s vice foreign minister told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

Bassam Sabbagh, who previously served as Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, condemned the policies of successive US administrations “to serve geopolitical and selfish interests” and “work to create and exaggerate problems to ignite tensions and then conflicts.”

The world is facing myriad challenges, he said, listing “devastating conflicts,” the “continued occupation of some peoples,” “sharp rises in poverty and hunger” and “economic blockade policies.”

Confronting these challenges requires global cooperation among all UN member states and the building of a “new multipolar world order that achieves a new balance,” he added.

Sabbagh accused the US of misinterpreting the UN Charter to “justify attacks committed against the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of other countries.”

This led to Washington spending “billions of dollars” to “demolish and destroy development achievements (in Syria) made over decades,” he said.

The emergence of terrorist groups, including Daesh and Al-Nusra Front, can also be blamed on “creative American chaos,” Sabbagh added.

“The basic principle affirmed by the UN Charter is respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of member states,” he said.

“Therefore, any acquisition of the lands of others by force is an occupation, and any illegal military presence on the territory of any sovereign state is a clear violation of this charter.”

He named Israel, the US and Turkiye as the chief exponents of territory violation, saying the activities of the former in Palestine are “consistent with the destructive role” played by the latter two in Syria.

Damascus “spares no effort” in “standing alongside the brotherly Palestinian people,” Sabbagh said, defining the issue as “the central Arab cause.”

He condemned Israel’s occupation of “Arab lands in Palestine and the Syrian Golan” since 1967, demanding that it end “immediately and unconditionally.”

As part of its occupation, Israel is committing the “most heinous forms of grave and systematic violations” of the UN Charter, Sabbagh said.

Israel’s actions this year have pushed the region to “unprecedented levels of tension and instability,” he added, naming a litany of policies targeting Palestinians as well as Syrians in the Golan Heights.

“This is evident in it (Israel) committing more massacres, the escalation of its military aggression, and its repeated missile bombing of Syrian cities, ports and civil airports, which endangered civilian lives and the safety of civil aviation, and hampered United Nations humanitarian operations,” he said.

“This is in addition to its continuation of policies of settlement, Judaization, sieges, arbitrary arrest, forced displacement and racial discrimination in the occupied Arab territories.”

Sabbagh also denounced the “continued support for such practices and silence about them” by some countries that “declare themselves protectors of international humanitarian law.”

He repeated Syria’s support for an independent Palestinian state along the June 1967 borders and the return of the Golan Heights to Syria, “no matter how long it takes.”

He accused the US of causing $115 billion in losses to Syria’s oil sector since 2011. This “systematic and exposed American plunder of the Syrian people’s national wealth” also included gas and wheat, and has led to deprivation and human suffering in an “unprecedented manner,” Sabbagh said.

He urged the UN to meet its obligation in holding the US accountable for the “looted money,” demanding its return to Syria.

As well as siphoning wealth, Sabbagh accused both the US and Turkiye of “infiltrating” Syrian territory and launching an illegal military presence as part of a “flagrant interference” in his country’s internal affairs.

Syria is seeking an end to the “unilateral coercive measures” of the US and its European allies, including sanctions on the “public health, banking and energy sectors.”

These “illegal, immoral and inhumane” measures have only “exacerbated the suffering of Syrians wherever they are, given that their impact includes third countries,” Sabbagh said.

The devastating earthquakes in Syria this year added “a new burden and suffering” for its people, he added, saying Damascus has tried to open all aid tracks for the arrival of humanitarian relief.

“Syria was one of the most stable and prosperous countries in the world. It was achieving food self-sufficiency and providing all the basic necessities of life for its people in a way that was rarely seen in the region,” Sabbagh said.

“However, the terrorist war launched against it since 2011 changed this situation and caused a significant humanitarian crisis.”

He thanked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for launching a flash funding appeal in the wake of the earthquakes, but called on international donors to fulfill their funding pledges in order to improve the humanitarian situation.

Sabbagh declared Syria’s readiness to “welcome the return of every Syrian refugee who left their home, village or city” since 2011, including citizens “who were forced by terrorist organizations to seek refuge.

“I call on Western countries that ask refugees not to return to their homeland to stop these inhumane practices.”

He hailed the achievements of the Arab League Summit in Jeddah in May, which “restored to the collective Arab position its shine, and to Arab joint action its momentum.

“The Arab countries affirmed their support for Syria in preserving its sovereignty … and overcoming the difficult circumstances it’s going through.”

Sabbagh also expressed Syria’s “support and solidarity” with Libya and Morocco in the wake of the recent natural disasters in the two North African countries.

He ended his address by calling for the UNGA to be used as a platform for “dialogue and public diplomacy,” not for “leveling false accusations and launching hostile campaigns.”

Working to translate the UNGA slogan of “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity” into “real and serious action” will ensure no one is left behind, Sabbagh said.


UAE President and Dutch PM discuss bilateral ties

UAE President and Dutch PM discuss bilateral ties
Updated 26 September 2023
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UAE President and Dutch PM discuss bilateral ties

UAE President and Dutch PM discuss bilateral ties
  • Leaders reaffirmed shared commitment to achieving a breakthrough in international climate action

LONDON: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday to discuss bilateral ties and strategic cooperation between the two countries, Emirates News Agency reported.

The two leaders discussed investment, the economy, education, culture, technology, and science during their meeting in Abu Dhabi. They also talked about renewable energy, sustainable development, and climate change, and addressed COP28 which will kick off in November in Expo City Dubai.

Sheikh Mohamed and Rutte reaffirmed their shared commitment to achieving a major breakthrough in international climate action.

The two exchanged views on a variety of regional and international issues of mutual interest, emphasizing the importance of working together to promote ideals of tolerance, harmony, peace, and human fraternity.

Sheikh Mohamed affirmed the strength of UAE-Netherlands relations, highlighting economic ties in critical sectors such as renewable energy, food security, technology, water, agriculture, and trade. 

He noted that non-oil trade exchange between the two countries reached $4.6 billion last year, representing a 7.2 percent increase over 2021.

Sheikh Mohamed said that the UAE is one of the Netherlands’ most important trading partners in the Arab world, highlighting that there are roughly 350 Dutch companies operating in the country.

Rutte extended his gratitude to Sheikh Mohamed for the warm welcome, emphasizing his country’s desire to enhance ties with the UAE.

Rutte also stated that the Netherlands and the UAE share many interests, particularly in the areas of sustainable development, the green economy, renewable energy, food security, and climate action.


Lebanon risks being ‘ostracized’ if presidential vacuum lingers -French envoy

Lebanon risks being ‘ostracized’ if presidential vacuum lingers -French envoy
Updated 26 September 2023
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Lebanon risks being ‘ostracized’ if presidential vacuum lingers -French envoy

Lebanon risks being ‘ostracized’ if presidential vacuum lingers -French envoy
  • Le Drian told Lebanese daily L’Orient-Le Jour that he was planning to host a series of “consultations” among political actors
  • “I hope that the actors are aware that a way out must be found; otherwise, they will be ostracized by the international community,” Le Drian said

BEIRUT: Lebanon risks being “ostracized” by the international community if its nearly year-long presidential vacuum drags on further, France’s special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian told a local Lebanese newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday.
Lebanon has been without a president since the term of former head of state Michel Aoun ended last October. The current parliament, one of the country’s most deeply divided, has failed 12 times to elect a successor, with the last session in June.
Le Drian told Lebanese daily L’Orient-Le Jour that he was planning to host a series of “consultations” among political actors and that he hoped Speaker of Parliament Nabih would then begin convening parliament “for consecutive and open sessions.”
“I hope that the actors are aware that a way out must be found; otherwise, they will be ostracized by the international community. No one will want to see them anymore, and it will be unnecessary to seek support here or there,” Le Drian said.
The failure to elect a president has deepened sectarian tensions in Lebanon, already mired in one of the world’s worst economic crises and facing unprecedented political paralysis, with its cabinet only partially empowered.
Lebanon has failed to enact reforms required to gain access to $3 billion in funding from the International Monetary Fund. The IMF has blamed “vested interests” for the lack of progress.
Donor countries have stepped in to help fund various public services but have grown increasingly frustrated with Lebanon’s requests for more funding.
Le Drian on Tuesday said five key countries — the United States, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt — who had been coordinating on policies to help Lebanon out of its political impasse were beginning to reconsider assistance.
“The five are wondering how long they will continue to help Lebanon,” he said.
The five had already discussed possible measures against politicians and groups who were obstructing the election of a president.


Saudi delegation visits Israel-occupied West Bank

Saudi delegation visits Israel-occupied West Bank
Updated 28 min 12 sec ago
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Saudi delegation visits Israel-occupied West Bank

Saudi delegation visits Israel-occupied West Bank
  • The delegation led by the kingdom’s non-resident ambassador to the Palestinian territories, Nayef Al-Sudairi, arrived overland from Jordan
  • Sudairi is then due to meet Palestinian present Mahmud Abbas

Jericho: Saudi Arabia, which is in US-brokered talks with Israel to normalize relations, on Tuesday sent a delegation to the occupied West Bank for the first time in three decades.
The delegation led by the kingdom’s non-resident ambassador to the Palestinian territories, Nayef Al-Sudairi, arrived overland from Jordan, acting Jericho governor Yusra Sweiti said.
It is the first such Saudi delegation to travel to the West Bank since the landmark Oslo Accords were signed in 1993.
Sudairi, the Saudi envoy to Jordan, was last month appointed non-resident ambassador to the Palestinian territories and consul general for Jerusalem.
He will be received by the top Palestinian diplomat, Riyad Al-Maliki, the foreign ministry in Ramallah said.
Sudairi is then due to meet Palestinian present Mahmud Abbas.
Sudairi’s visit to Ramallah comes as Washington has been leading talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia on a potential normalization of relations between the two countries, a move seen as a game-changer for the region.


Japan proposes initiative to resume nuclear talks: Iran FM

Japan proposes initiative to resume nuclear talks: Iran FM
Updated 26 September 2023
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Japan proposes initiative to resume nuclear talks: Iran FM

Japan proposes initiative to resume nuclear talks: Iran FM
  • Under US President Joe Biden’s administration, negotiations resumed with the objective of re-entering the agreement

DUBAI: Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Japan has proposed an initiative to resume negotiations to revive the nuclear deal that was signed in 2015 by Tehran and Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US.

According to Kyodo News, Abdollahian said any initiative from Japan that aligns with “Iran’s interests” would be viewed positively, adding: “We support the constructive role of Japan in reviving the nuclear deal.”

He told the Japanese news agency that he received a proposal from the Japanese government when he visited Tokyo last month and met with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and former Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa.

Abdollahian said delays in the negotiations’ progress were caused by “excessive demands” by the US, Britain, France and Germany, as well as “interference” by other countries in Iran’s domestic issues, specifically with regard to protests over the death last year of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini.

Under the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium, cut its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98 percent, and reduce by about two-thirds the number of its gas centrifuges for 13 years. It also agreed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67 percent for the next 15 years.

But in 2018, then-President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the deal, saying it did not address “Iran’s ballistic missile program and its proxy warfare in the region.”

Under US President Joe Biden’s administration, negotiations resumed with the objective of re-entering the agreement.

Most recently, on Sept. 20 Kishida and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met in New York to discuss security issues, bilateral relations and the nuclear deal.

Kishida said Japan has been consistent in its support of the deal and urged Iran to take constructive measures.