PARIS: France’s president urged the new authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic to consider a partnership with the Iraq-based international coalition fighting Daesh to prevent the country being destabilized in its transition period.
Syria’s foreign minister attended an international conference in Paris on Thursday where regional and Western powers looked into how to shield the country during its fragile transition amid ongoing instability across the Middle East.
Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani was leading a delegation for a first trip to the European Union since the December overthrow of Syria’s autocratic president Bashar Assad, and a few days after President Emmanuel Macron invited Syria’s transitional President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to France.
Speaking at the conference, France’s president said Paris was ready to do more to help the country tackle terrorist groups and to prevent Syria becoming once again a platform for Iranian militias to destabilize the region.
“Syria must clearly continue to fight against terrorist organizations that spread chaos in your country and who want to export it. That’s why the fight against Daesh and all terrorist groups is an absolute priority,” Macron said, adding that the transition should consider working with the Western-led Inherent Resolve operation in neighboring Iraq.
Regional ministers, including from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Lebanon, were joined by Western partners at the gathering, though the US had only a low-level diplomatic presence.
The meeting aimed to coordinate efforts to ensure Syria’s sovereignty and security through its transition, and mobilize its main neighbors and partners to coordinate aid and economic support, the French foreign ministry said.
“We want Syria to stop being used to destabilize the region. On the contrary, we want the Syrians to be able to focus today on the success of the transition and the recovery of their country,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said at the start of the meeting.
The participants also planned to discuss transitional justice and the fight against impunity for those accused of abuses during Syria’s 13-year-long civil war.
The meeting did not aim to raise funds, which will be left to an annual pledging conference in Brussels on March 17, but issues such as the lifting of sanctions imposed on Syria during Assad’s iron-fisted rule were to be discussed.
The EU agreed in principle last month to lift sanctions but there has been no follow-through due to Greek and Cypriot objections to maritime boundary talks between Syria and Turkiye that affect waters claimed by Greece and Cyprus.
Greece and Cyprus also want assurances that sanctions could be restored quickly, two diplomats said.
They said they were hopeful a compromise could be reached this month. Barrot, whose country was expected to announce the reopening of the French embassy in Damascus on Thursday, said sanctions-lifting was a work in progress and German counterpart Annalena Baerbock said it would be done “step by step.”
Ahead of the meeting, the main international aid donors met in Paris to take stock of Syria’s humanitarian situation, notably in the northeast, where the impact of US aid cuts has had a “terrifying” impact, according to a European official.
France urges Syrian transitional government to partner coalition fighting Daesh
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France urges Syrian transitional government to partner coalition fighting Daesh
- Trump’s controversial decision to freeze foreign assistance has raised concerns in Syria, a country that had depended on hundreds of millions of dollars in aid from the US and now left in ruins by a civil war
UAE, Egypt sign MoU in ‘significant milestone’ for Arab space cooperation
- Agreement covers joint projects and knowledge exchange in areas such as satellite technology, earth observation and space research
- Signing coincided with the African Space Agency’s headquarters opening in Cairo
DUBAI: The UAE and Egypt have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost collaboration in peaceful space activities, marking what Emirati officials described as a “significant milestone” in Arab space cooperation, state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 11th meeting of the Arab Space Cooperation Group and the “NewSpace Africa” conference in Cairo, with the UAE delegation led by Salem Butti Al-Qubaisi, director-general of the UAE Space Agency.
“The MoU represents a significant milestone in Arab space cooperation and reflects the UAE’s strategic vision, which sees space as a gateway to sustainable development, knowledge exchange and innovative solutions to shared challenges,” Al-Qubaisi said.
He highlighted that partnering with Egypt reinforced the UAE’s commitment to investing in people, localizing scientific expertise and developing a competitive, innovation-driven knowledge economy. He said that these goals aligned with broader regional ambitions for prosperity and stability.
The MoU establishes a long-term framework for cooperation in civil space programs, including the exchange of expertise, research and technology, and the implementation of joint projects supporting both countries’ sustainable development goals.
Planned areas of collaboration include communications technologies, satellite navigation and timing, Earth observation, remote sensing, space situational awareness, remote asset management and R&D in emerging and advanced technologies.
The UAE delegation also attended the opening ceremony of the African Space Agency’s new headquarters at Egyptian Space City, an event that drew senior officials, ministers and space-sector leaders from across Africa.
At least 12 killed overnight by Israeli strikes in Gaza
- The pre-dawn strikes hit three houses in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp
- Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month
At least 12 people including children were killed overnight in Gaza by Israeli strikes, hospital workers said Wednesday.
The pre-dawn strikes hit three houses in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp, according to staff at the Al-Aqsa hospital, which received the bodies. Among the dead were three children, including two brothers whose bodies arrived in pieces, according to the hospital’s morgue.
Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month. It has cut off the territory’s 2 million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, since the beginning of March in what it says is an attempt to pressure the militant group to release hostages.
The strikes come after more than two dozen people were killed earlier this week in Gaza City and Beit Lahiya.
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
UAE security services thwart attempt to illegally transfer weapons, military equipment to Sudanese Armed Forces
- UAE Attorney-General says security forces arrested a cell involved in unauthorized trafficking of military equipment to the Sudanese Armed Forces
ABU DHABI: UAE security services have foiled an attempt to illegally transfer weapons and military equipment to the Sudanese Armed Forces, the UAE's Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said on Wednesday.
Al Shamsi stated that the security services succeeded in preventing the transfer of a quantity of military equipment to the Sudanese Armed Forces following the arrest of members of a cell involved in unauthorised mediation, brokering and illicit trafficking of military equipment, without obtaining the necessary licences from relevant authorities.
The defendants were arrested during an inspection of ammunition in a private aircraft at one of the country’s airports.
The plane was carrying approximately five million rounds of (54.7 x 62mm) Goryunov-type ammunition.
Authorities also seized part of the financial proceeds from the deal in the possession of two suspects in their hotel rooms.
Al Shamsi said the investigation revealed the involvement of cell members from the Sudanese military leaders, including former intelligence Chief Salah Gosh, a former officer of the intelligence agency, a former advisor to the finance minister, and a political figure close to General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his deputy Yasser Al-Atta. Several Sudanese businessmen were also implicated.
According to investigators, the cell members completed a military equipment deal involving Kalashnikov rifles, ammunition, machine guns, and grenades worth millions of dollars.
The arms were transferred from the Sudanese army to an importing company in the UAE using the HAWALADARS’ transfer method.
The transaction was facilitated through a company owned by a fugitive cell member working for the Sudanese Armed Forces, in coordination with Colonel Othman Al-Zubair, who is in charge of financial operations in the Sudanese military.
Fake contracts and commercial invoices were used to falsely claim the payments were for a sugar import deal.
The investigation concluded that these deals were carried out at the request of the Sudanese Armed Forces’ Armament Committee, chaired by Al-Burhan and his deputy Al-Atta, with their full knowledge and approval. The cell members were directly assigned to broker and finalise the transactions by Ahmed Rabie Ahmed Al-Sayed, a political figure close to the Sudanese Commander-in-Chief and responsible for issuing end-user certificates and approvals.
Investigators confirmed that Salah Gosh played a central role in managing illegal military equipment trafficking within the UAE, in coordination with other cell members.
The group earned $2.6m in profit margin above the actual value of the two deals, which was distributed among themselves and several accomplices. Gosh’s share was found in the possession of suspect Khalid Youssef Mukhtar Youssef, a former intelligence officer and Gosh’s ex-chief of staff.
The seized shipment had arrived at a UAE airport aboard a private aircraft from a foreign country.
The aircraft had landed to refuel and officially declared it was carrying a consignment of medical supplies.
However, the military cargo was discovered under the supervision of the Public Prosecution, based on judicial warrants issued by the Attorney General.
Authorities also seized copies of the contracts related to the two deals, forged shipping documents, as well as audio recordings and messages exchanged among the cell members.
The investigation uncovered several companies owned by a Sudanese-Ukrainian businessman, including one operating in the UAE.
These companies were found to have provided the Sudanese army with weapons, ammunition, grenades, and drones, in collaboration with the cell members and the military’s financial officer.
One of the companies is listed under US sanctions.
The ongoing investigations revealed that the group’s financial interests and profits are closely tied to the continuation of internal conflict in Sudan.
The Attorney-General stressed that this incident represents a grave breach of the UAE’s national security, turning its territory into a platform for illegal arms trafficking to a country experiencing civil strife, in addition to constituting criminal offenses punishable under law.
He concluded by stating that the Public Prosecution is continuing its investigation procedures in preparation for referring the suspects to urgent trial proceedings.
Final results will be announced upon the completion of the investigation.
US official tells UN top court ‘serious concerns’ over UNRWA impartiality
THE HAGUE: A US official on Wednesday told the International Court of Justice there were “serious concerns” about the impartiality of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
ICJ judges are holding a week of hearings to help them formulate an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations toward UN agencies delivering aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
“There are serious concerns about UNRWA’s impartiality, including information that Hamas has used UNRWA facilities and that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7th terrorist attack against Israel,” said Josh Simmons from the US State Department legal team.
Syrian state media says 11 dead in new clashes near Damascus
- Clashes erupted overnight between security forces and “outlaw groups” near Damascus
DAMASCUS: Syria state media said Wednesday that 11 people had been killed in clashes that erupted overnight between security forces and “outlaw groups” near Damascus.
“The number of dead after outlaw groups targeted civilians and security forces” in the Sahnaya area “has risen to 11 dead and a number of wounded,” state news agency SANA said, citing a health ministry statement, without elaborating on the identity of those killed.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel carried out a strike in Syria on Wednesday on an “extremist group” preparing to attack members of the Druze community in the Damascus region.
“The IDF (military) carried out a warning action and struck the organization of an extremist group preparing to attack the Druze population in the town of Sahnaya, in the Damascus region of Syria,” said a statement from the Israeli leader's office.
“A stern message was conveyed to the Syrian regime -- Israel expects them to act to prevent harm to the Druze community,” it added.
A spokesman for Syria's interior ministry, speaking to Reuters from Sahnaya, the Syrian town Israel said it had targeted, said he had no indication that an attack had taken place.
