African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson had a meeting with Brig. Paul Kahuria Njema, Director General of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) Secretariat.
The Chairperson of the AU Commission H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, had a meeting with Brig. Paul Kahuria Njema, Director General of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) Secretariat this morning.
Their discussions focused on the peace&security landscape in Eastern DRC, Sudan, Somalia,&the Gulf of Aden. They reaffirmed the imperative of a sustained, coordinated approach to conflict resolution&the importance of securing sustainable&predictable funding for African-led peace support operations.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Zawya
13 hours ago
- Zawya
Sudan: Türk warns of catastrophic surge in violence
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned today of the disastrous consequences stemming from ongoing and escalating hostilities across the North Darfur and Kordofan regions in Sudan, where civilian casualties, sexual violence, abductions and looting have been reported in multiple areas. 'The recent fighting and grave risk of further aggravation in an already brutal and deadly conflict raise severe protection concerns, amid a pervasive culture of impunity for human rights violations,' the High Commissioner said. On 15 June, after a year-long siege, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a further attack on El Fasher, following months of increased mobilisation of fighters, including the recruitment of children, across Darfur. The operation, with its ground offensive to capture the city, mirrors the RSF's offensive on the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) in April, which led to hundreds of civilian deaths, widespread sexual violence and a humanitarian catastrophe. In South Kordofan state, civilians also remain trapped by the fighting between the parties vying for control of the strategic town of Al Debibat. Meanwhile, in North Kordofan state, the RSF have reportedly surrounded the city of El Obeid, currently held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied groups, and may attack it in the coming days, as announced by the RSF commander. 'We know where further escalation will lead,' Türk said. 'For too long already, the world has witnessed the unbound horrors unfolding in Sudan and the untold suffering of its people. Civilians must be protected at all costs. Violations and crimes must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible be held to account,' he added. 'I urge the parties to ensure civilians can safely leave El Fasher, Al Debibat, and El Obeid, as well as other places where civilians may be trapped by the conflict. All parties must refrain from attacking civilian objects, ultimately lay down their weapons and put an end to hostilities,' Türk said. 'I call on all States to exert their influence to press for a durable political solution, and to ensure respect by the parties to the conflict for international humanitarian law. I also urge them to press for an end to the flow of arms into the country, and to restrain the business interests sustaining this conflict.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).


The National
17 hours ago
- The National
UAE eases visa rules for Sudanese citizens whose passports have almost expired
The UAE will allow Sudanese citizens with less than six months left on their passports to obtain or renew residency visas in a show of solidarity amid the war in their homeland. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) told The National on Friday that the decision aimed to help people regularise their status in the face of 'exceptional circumstances'. Applicants must typically have at least six months remaining on their passport to secure residency in the Emirates. The civil war in Sudan – which broke out in April 2023 – has hampered the efforts of its citizens based overseas to renew their passports. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions forced to flee the country as the conflict has created a worsening humanitarian crisis. 'The move reflects the UAE's efforts to strengthen the social and humanitarian well-being for those impacted in the exceptional circumstances in their country,' the ICP said in a statement. 'The procedures will be smooth and flexible to renew their permits after exempting them from paying fines.' 'The decision is part of wider national efforts to promote social and humanitarian stability for residents in the country.' For Ahmed El Shiekh, a Sudanese citizen living in Dubai, the decision will help him to renew his residency and secure his job. 'It is really great initiative. It takes quite long to get a new passport and may take up to six months to get one from Sudan,' the 37-year-old said. Mr El Shiekh, whose passport will expire in four months, said he can apply now to renew his residency. 'I was afraid to lose my job and didn't know what to do. I spent most of my life in the UAE and have no other place to go. I'm relieved,' he added.


The National
2 days ago
- The National
China not expected to provide military support to Iran in war with Israel, expert says
China is not expected to come to Iran's defence in its war with Israel, now entering its seventh day, a Chinese expert told The National. 'In the war between Russia and Ukraine, Foreign Minister Wang Yi was very clear that China stood with peace and not with either side. So this time, whether supporting Israel or Iran, China's position remains the same,' said Zhou Rong, a senior analyst at the Renmin University of China. 'China will do its best to promote peace in the region. It will act within its capacity. We will do more to support Iran, morally, but no one – not China or any other country – can stop Israel's attacks. All we can do is try to form a united front against Israel's aggressive behaviour and help Iran with some level of resistance. But even then, China still hopes to stop the war between the two sides.' The conflict flared last week, when Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a co-ordinated attack involving air and drone strikes against Iranian nuclear, military and regime targets. The strikes killed senior commanders in the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and nuclear scientists. At least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1,300 wounded, a Washington-based Iranian human rights group said. In retaliation, Iran has fired about 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel, killing at least 24 people and wounding hundreds. China's President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for all parties, but "especially Israel", to stop hostilities in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese state media reported. "Parties to the conflict, especially Israel, should cease hostilities as soon as possible to prevent a cyclical escalation and resolutely avoid the spillover of the war," Mr Xi said, according to Xinhua. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said this week that the country had begun evacuating its citizens from Israel and Iran. Chinese authorities are in communication with Iran, Israel and various parties to push for a ceasefire, ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a press briefing. Fears are mounting over potential US involvement in the war. President Donald Trump on Wednesday remained ambiguous over whether American forces would strike Iranian nuclear sites and said Tehran had made contact in a bid to negotiate. His comments came a day after he appeared to be preparing for war and demanded the 'unconditional surrender' of the Iranian government. 'You don't know. I may do it, I may not do it – I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do,' Mr Trump said at the White House during a ceremony to install new flagpoles. Mr Zhou believes Mr Trump is concerned about the possibility of the war spreading across the entire region. 'We know the US has major military bases in Kuwait, Pakistan and Qatar. Unless those bases are directly targeted, Mr Trump is likely to hesitate before engaging the US in a war against Iran,' he said. 'Trump is weighing whether to attack Iran or increase pressure to force it into a deal with the US." Mr Zhou said that Israel's recent strikes had killed several experienced IRGC generals. "These targeted killings will continue,' he noted. 'The problem for Iran is that it cannot mount a decent, large-scale retaliation against Israel. Some of the new officers promoted after the deaths of seasoned commanders are inexperienced. In this case, Iran's retaliation against Israel will be weaker.'