Hopes rise on Sudan as Egypt pushes peace talks

The conflict in Sudan has killed thousands and sparked a humanitarian disaster. (AFP/File)
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Updated 01 June 2024
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Hopes rise on Sudan as Egypt pushes peace talks

  • Al-Burhan government urged to ease demands over forum set for June

CAIRO: Egypt’s plans to host a conference in coming weeks that will bring together rival Sudanese political forces has raised hopes of restoring peace in the conflict-racked country, according to analysts.

The government of Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan has already welcomed the Egyptian initiative, according to Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Masad Faiez, an Egyptian political analyst, said the Sudanese statement tried to set “some conditions” for the participation of the state’s representative.

“I think these are tough conditions,” he told Arab News. “But from what I know, Egypt is currently trying to unify all parties to ensure lasting and ongoing peace.”

Faiez said Egypt “believes that the conflict is a Sudanese issue and is inviting all active national factions to participate in a future political process.”

Cairo will exert all possible efforts to help Sudan overcome the crisis it faces, and end the conflict’s damaging effects on the Sudanese people, and the security and stability of the region, he said.

According to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the conference will seek to reach a consensus on building comprehensive and lasting peace in Sudan.

Regional and international partners will attend the forum, which will rely on “a national dialogue based on a purely Sudanese vision,” the ministry said.

The Sudanese statement specifically opposed the participation of three parties referred to as “patrons” of the Rapid Support Forces.

Sudan also claimed that regional and international organizations had remained silent about the “crimes of the Rapid Support Forces,” and insisted on the African Union’s non-participation unless steps were taken to lift the suspension of Sudan’s activities in the organization.

Akmal Ziyada, a political expert on African affairs, said the Sudanese regime will likely ease its demands in order to achieve peace and unity.

Egypt looks forward to “active participation from all Sudanese civil political forces, and concerned regional and international partners, working together to ensure the conference’s success in achieving the aspirations of the brotherly Sudanese people,” he said.

The Sudanese Unionist Democratic Party, led by Mohammed Osman Al-Mirghani, also welcomed the Egyptian initiative.

Hatem Al-Sir, a political adviser to Al-Mirghani, said the importance of the Egyptian initiative stems from the historical and fraternal ties between the two peoples, and a “firm belief that the solution to the Sudanese crisis must be purely Sudanese,” and include all national factions.

Hassan Al-Mir, a member of the Egyptian parliament, told Arab News that Egypt has a vision for “resolving the crisis in Sudan, primarily because the stability of this country and the African region is one of the mainstays of Egypt’s national security.”

Cairo had led many efforts to contain the Sudan crisis, he said.

Egypt “respects the will of the Sudanese people, opposes foreign interventions in Sudan’s crisis, emphasizes the protection of institutions, and coordinates with neighboring countries to lessen the humanitarian impact,” Al-Mir said.


Rubio says US has not discussed deportation of Palestinians from Gaza to Libya

Updated 12 sec ago
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Rubio says US has not discussed deportation of Palestinians from Gaza to Libya

Rubio said he was not aware of Libya being included
He also said the US was pleased to see the resumption of food shipments to Gaza

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the United States has not discussed the deportation of Palestinians from Gaza to Libya, but he said that Washington had asked other countries in the region if they would be open to accepting Gazans who want to move voluntarily.

“What we have talked to some nations about is if someone voluntarily and willingly says I want to go somewhere else for some period of time because I’m sick, because my children need to go to school, or what have you, are there countries in the region willing to accept them for some period of time?,” Rubio said, adding that he was not aware of Libya being included in that.

Rubio also told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the United States was pleased to see the resumption of food shipments to Gaza, adding that the United States understands that another 100 trucks are behind the initial ones to cross in to Gaza and more might enter in the coming days.

Lebanon pushes for local elections despite Israeli attacks

Updated 1 min 39 sec ago
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Lebanon pushes for local elections despite Israeli attacks

  • Interior minister underlines commitment to ensure elections are conducted with integrity and safety
  • Elections in the South and Nabatieh governorates, scheduled for their fourth phase this coming Saturday, will be held during ongoing Israeli incursions south and north of the Litani River

BEIRUT: The Lebanese government still faces one final — and perhaps the most security sensitive — electoral challenge: the elections in the South and Nabatieh governorates.

These elections, scheduled for their fourth phase this coming Saturday, will be held during ongoing Israeli incursions south and north of the Litani River.

Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, in the southern city of Sidon on Tuesday, affirmed that “the government is mindful of the potential for Israeli violations and assaults during the municipal elections scheduled for Saturday. However, the decision remains clear and resolute regarding the continuation of the electoral process regardless of the circumstances.”

The minister emphasized to Mansour Daou, the governor of South Lebanon, and representatives of the security, military, and judicial agencies in the South, “the state’s commitment to ensuring that the elections are conducted with integrity and safety,” underscoring their significance as part of the reconstruction process for the people of the South.

In the lead-up to the elections, an Israeli military drone targeted a motorcycle on the road between Mansouri and Majdalzoun in the Tyre district, resulting in reports from the Ministry of Health indicating that “nine individuals were injured, including two children, with three of the injured in critical condition.”

Another Israeli drone launched a bomb at fishermen off the coast of Ras Al-Naqoura.

Attention in the south is focused on two issues: observing the extent to which people will participate in the elections, particularly those whose homes were destroyed and displaced to other villages; and monitoring Hezbollah’s ability to maintain its popularity in the south, where the devastation and rubble are still visible to the public. To date, no reconstruction has occurred in any facilities either north or south of the Litani River, because Israel has turned the border area into a devastated and desolate zone, maintaining its occupation of five strategic hills and daily thwarting any attempts to establish readymade rooms for logistical purposes to assist the affected population.

The latest data from the Lebanese Ministry of Health, as of May 12, indicates that since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on Nov. 27, “Israel has killed 156 individuals and injured 376 others, with a total of 3,138 air and maritime violations recorded.”

According to the Israeli army, “by the end of April, around 140 Hezbollah members had been eliminated, with the vast majority of assassinations (more than 50 percent) taking place south of the Litani River. Assassinations north of the Litani River and in the Bekaa region accounted for 48 percent of the operations; 33.3 percent north of the Litani River and 14.7 percent in the Bekaa.”

The Israeli army claimed that “the majority of the assassinated members belonged to Hezbollah’s Aziz, Nasr and Badr units.” In a new study, the Israeli Alma Center stated: “Those individuals were involved in the rehabilitation of infrastructure on the ground.” 


Rubio says Syria could be weeks away from ‘full-scale civil war’

Updated 45 min 8 sec ago
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Rubio says Syria could be weeks away from ‘full-scale civil war’

  • US Secretary of State says Syria is weeks away from a potential collapse and splitting up

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Tuesday that Syria could be weeks away from a fresh civil war of “epic proportions,” as he called for support to the transitional leadership.
“It is our assessment that, frankly, the transitional authority, given the challenges they’re facing, are maybe weeks — not many months — away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions, basically the country splitting up,” Rubio told a US Senate hearing.
The top US diplomat spoke after a series of bloody attacks on the Alawite and Druze minorities in Syria, where Islamist-led fighters in December toppled Bashar Assad in a lightning offensive after a brutal civil war that began in 2011.
US President Donald Trump last week on a visit to Saudi Arabia announced a lifting of Assad-era sanctions and met with the guerrilla leader who is now Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
Sharaa, clad in a suit and complimented by Trump as a “young, attractive guy,” was until recently on a US wanted list over jihadist connections.
Rubio quipped: “The transitional authority figures, they didn’t pass their background check with the FBI.”
But he added: “If we engage them, it may work out, it may not work out. If we did not engage them, it was guaranteed to not work out.”
Rubio, who also met with Syria’s foreign minister in Turkiye on Thursday, blamed the renewed violence on the legacy of Assad, a largely secular leader who hailed from the Alawite sect.
“They are dealing with deep internal distrust in that country, because Assad deliberately pitted these groups against each other,” Rubio said.


UAE foreign minister holds phone call with his new German counterpart

Updated 20 May 2025
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UAE foreign minister holds phone call with his new German counterpart

  • Ministers discussed strengthening the UAE-Germany strategic partnership and enhancing cooperation in key sectors

LONDON: UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan congratulated Johann Wadephul on his appointment as Germany’s minister of foreign affairs.

The two ministers discussed strengthening the UAE-Germany strategic partnership and enhancing cooperation in key sectors during a phone call on Tuesday, the Emirates News Agency reported.

Sheikh Abdullah hoped to achieve mutual prosperity between Germany and the UAE, whose diplomatic ties were established in 1972.

In 2023, the UAE became one of Germany’s most important business partners in the Middle East, with a bilateral trade volume exceeding €14 billion ($15.768 billion). According to Germany’s Federal Foreign Office report, German imports from the UAE experienced a 150 percent increase in the same year.

Wadephul, a veteran conservative and defense policy expert, assumed the foreign minister’s office on May 7 in Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government.


Jordan and Syria agree on roadmap to cooperate in energy, transport

Updated 20 May 2025
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Jordan and Syria agree on roadmap to cooperate in energy, transport

  • Ayman Safadi says Jordan is Syria’s gateway to the Arabian Gulf, while Syria acts as Jordan’s gateway to Europe
  • Asaad Al-Shaibani: Syrians are tired after 14 years of war, and the country wants to focus on maintaining security and stability

LONDON: Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s minister of foreign affairs, on Tuesday discussed strengthening cooperation during a meeting in Damascus with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Al-Shaibani.

The Jordanian delegation included the ministers of water, industry, trade, energy, and transport, who discussed coordination with their Syrian counterparts and signed an agreement to establish a coordination council between the two countries.

Al-Shaibani said that diplomatic efforts resulted in the lifting of European sanctions shortly after the US announced it would lift sanctions on the country. He added that lifting sanctions on Syria would enhance cooperation with Jordan in transport and energy, positively affecting the region.

The minister said Syria shares borders with Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, and aims to maintain its security while addressing threats, as its security would affect neighboring countries.

Al-Shaibani and Safadi opposed the Israeli intervention in Syria after the change of rule in Damascus in December 2024, the SANA agency reported.

Al-Shaibani said Syrians are tired after 14 years of war, and the country wants to focus on maintaining security and stability while finding solutions for vital issues such as energy and electricity.

Safadi and Al-Shaibani have agreed to establish a roadmap to enhance cooperation in energy, transport, water, and health, SANA added.

Safadi said that Jordan is Syria’s gateway to the Arabian Gulf and the Arab world, while Syria is Jordan’s gateway to Europe, and affirmed Amman’s support for Syria.