Latest news with #Hemedti
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Sudan in danger of self-destructing as conflict and famine reign
Sudan's war is in strategic stalemate. Each side stakes its hopes on a new offensive, a new delivery of weapons, a new political alliance, but neither can gain a decisive losers are the Sudanese people. Every month there are more who are hungry, displaced, Sudan armed forces triumphantly announced the recapture of central Khartoum in broadcast pictures of its leader, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, walking through the ruins of the capital's Republican Palace, which had been controlled by the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), since the earliest days of the war in April army deployed weapons newly acquired from Egypt, Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries including Qatar and Iran. But its offensive quickly stalled. The RSF, headed by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as "Hemedti", responded with a devastating drone attack on Port Sudan, which is both the interim capital of the military government and also the main entry point for humanitarian were long-range sophisticated drones, which the army accuses the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supplying - a charge the UAE rejects, along with well-documented reports that it has been backing the RSF during the 27-month conflict.A simple guide to Sudan's warFear, loss and hope in Sudan's ruined capital after army victoryBurhan and Hemedti - the two generals at the heart of the conflictThe RSF has also expanded operations to the south of struck a deal with Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, the veteran rebel commander of the Sudan People's Liberation Army-North, which controls the Nuba Mountains near the border with South forces combined may be able to make a push to the border with Ethiopia, hoping to open new supply the RSF has been besieging the capital of North Darfur, el-Fasher, which is defended by a coalition of Darfurian former rebels, known as the Joint Forces, allied with the of the fighters are ethnic Zaghawa, who have been in fierce conflict with the Arab groups that form the core of the RSF. Month after month of blockade, bombardment and ground attacks have created famine among the residents, with the people of the displaced camp of Zamzam RSF and its allied Arab militias have a terrifying record of massacre, rape and ethnic cleansing. Human rights organisations have accused it of genocide against the Massalit people of West communities in el-Fasher fear that if the Joint Forces are defeated, they will suffer savage reprisals at the hands of the pressure on el-Fasher is growing. Last week the RSF captured desert garrisons on the border with Libya held by the Joint military has accused forces loyal to Libyan strongman Gen Khalifa Haftar, who controls the east of the country and is also a reported beneficiary of Emirati support, of joining in the civilians, who six years ago managed the extraordinary feat of overthrowing the country's long-time leader Omar al-Bashir through non-violent protests, are in groupings are aligned with Burhan, with Hemedti, or trying to stake out a neutral position. They are all active on social media, polarised, acrimonious and neighbourhood committees that were the driving force of the civic revolution are clinging to life. Most have kept their political heads down, focusing instead on essential humanitarian activities. Known as "Emergency Response Rooms", aid workers recognise that they are the most efficient channel for life-saving many lost their funding when the administration of US President Donald Trump closed down USAID, and other donors have not stepped into the army and RSF both see any form of civic activism as a threat. They are cracking down, arresting, torturing and killing national aid workers and human rights is no credible peace UN's chief diplomat assigned to Sudan, former Algerian Prime Minister Ramtane Lamamra, formulated a peace plan that was premised on the assumption that the army would achieve a military that would be left to negotiate would be the disarmament of the RSF and the reconstruction of the country. That is totally has a big diplomatic advantage over Hemedti because the UN has recognised the military side as the government of Sudan, even when it did not control the national attempt to launch a parallel administration for the vast territories controlled by the RSF has gained little credibility. Foreign ministers at a conference in London in April, hosted by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, failed to agree a path to peace. The conference chairs had to settle for a statement that covered familiar this occasion, as before, progress was blocked because Saudi Arabia and the UAE could not acknowledge that Sudan's war is an African problem that needs an Arab road to peace in Khartoum runs through Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Egypt, the big question is whether Burhan is able to distance himself from Sudan's Bashir, the Islamist movement was in power for 30 years, and established a formidable and well-funded organisation, that still Islamists mobilised combat brigades that were key to the army's recent victory in President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi supports Burhan and wants him to sideline the Islamists, but knows that he cannot push the Sudanese general too question takes on added salience with Israel's attack on Iran and the Islamists' fear that they are facing an irreversible other big question is whether the UAE will step back from supporting the RSF lost Khartoum, some hoped that Abu Dhabi might seek a compromise - but within weeks the RSF was deploying drones that appear to have come from the UAE is also facing strategic challenges, as it is an outlier in the Arab world in its alignment with wants to see Sudan divided. But the reality of the war points towards a de facto partition between bitterly opposed warring camps. Meanwhile, the world's largest and deepest humanitarian emergency worsens with no end in than half of Sudan's 45 million people are displaced. Nearly a million are in sides continue to restrict aid agencies' access to the starving. The UN's appeal for $4.2bn (£3bn) for essential aid was only 13.3% funded in late and among the Arab world's powerbrokers, Sudan is no-one's priority, an orphan in a region that is is a country where the multilateral organisations - the United Nations and the African Union - could still be can remind all of their commitments to human rights and human life, and that it is in no-one's interest to see Sudan's catastrophe continue to long-suffering Sudanese people surely deserve that quantum of de Waal is the executive director of the World Peace Foundation at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the US. Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Al Bawaba
01-06-2025
- General
- Al Bawaba
Sudanese army foils drone attack in Port Sudan
Published June 1st, 2025 - 06:07 GMT ALBAWABA - The Sudanese army foiled drones flying over Port Sudan with anti-aircraft missiles on Saturday, according to eyewitnesses. Also Read Sudan reports 70 cholera deaths in Khartoum in 2 days Last month, Port Sudan, the seat of the military-backed government, was subjected to its first drone attack, blamed on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally referred to as Hemedti. The drone strikes targeted infrastructure, including the country's last functioning international civilian airport, power plants, and fuel depots. The almost daily strikes had ceased for more than a week until Saturday, when eyewitnesses told AFP they heard "the sound of anti-aircraft missiles north and west of the city and drones flying overhead." © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Saudi Gazette
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
US to impose sanctions on Sudan after alleged use of chemical weapons
WASHINGTON — The US has announced new sanctions on Sudan after accusing the military-run government of using chemical weapons last year against its opponents in the ongoing civil war. In a statement released on Thursday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the Sudanese junta had violated the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). "The United States calls on the government of Sudan to cease all chemical weapons use and uphold its obligations under the CWC," she said in a statement. Under the terms of the CWC, signatories must destroy their stockpiles of chemical weapons. Bruce did not give details about where and when the banned weapons are alleged to have been used. However, the New York Times reported earlier this year, citing senior US officials, that Sudanese government forces had reportedly used chlorine gas to strike the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in remote parts of the country. The latest round of US sanctions, which is expected to come into effect around 6 June, will include restrictions on American exports to Sudan and access to US government loans. In January, the US sanctioned the RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, whose forces and proxies have been accused of committing genocide during the civil war. Then US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the time that the RSF and its allied militias had murdered people and carried out sexual violence against women based on ethnicity. A week later, the Biden administration also sanctioned Hemedti's main rival, the country's military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, whose soldiers are also alleged to have committed war crimes. Sudan's civil war started in April 2023 after an alliance between al-Burhan and Hemedti broke down, rapidly turning into a violent power struggle. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and 13 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of the violence. Famine is rife in the country, with aid workers describing Sudan as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. — Euronews
Al Jazeera
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Sudan's army declares Khartoum state ‘completely free' of paramilitary RSF
Sudan's army has announced it has cleared the state of Khartoum of rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after weeks of intensive battles, with the civil war now in its third year. The General Command of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said in a statement on Tuesday that the state – which comprises the capital Khartoum, its twin city Omdurman, and the city of Khartoum North (Bahri) – is now 'completely free of rebels'. 'We also renew our pledge to our people to continue our efforts until every inch of our country is liberated of every rebel, traitor, and agent,' said the SAF, headed by Sudan's de facto leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. This comes after Sudan's army secured a number of victories in battles in and around the capital in March, including the recapturing of the presidential palace and major urban centres that culminated in taking back the Khartoum airport from the RSF, headed by General Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemedti' Dagalo. In late March, al-Burhan had declared 'Khartoum is free' hours after the recapture of the key airport, although smaller battles were ongoing with RSF militias in pockets around the state. Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan said intense battles raged in recent days in southern Omdurman's Salha area, which was the last remaining major RSF stronghold and home to one of the group's largest military bases. 'The army had been making gradual advances in the Salha area in the past few days until it was able to take control of the area completely from the RSF in the early hours of Tuesday morning,' she said. 'The army also said it was able to recover weapons and ammunitions that were used by the paramilitary, including drones and jamming systems.' After more than two years of devastating civil war that has gradually attracted foreign funding and weapons, control of Sudan remains torn between the two generals and their allies. The SAF dominates the north and the east – including the smallest state by area, but most populous, Khartoum – along with some central areas, while the RSF holds most of western Sudan, including most of Darfur. Where the RSF has been forced back on the ground, it has been trying to inflict damage with drone strikes, including those that have targeted energy infrastructure in both Khartoum and Port Sudan. Fighting has also been ongoing in el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state in western Sudan, as well as some key supply lines in Kordofan. More than 12 million people have been forcibly displaced by the war so far, with tens of thousands killed and many exposed to ethnicity-based violence.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Posts falsely claim Sudanese paramilitary announced attack on Eritrean navy
A Facebook post, published in Amharic on May 11, 2025, contains a headline that reads: 'Breaking news: Eritrean navy has been attacked by drones.' 'Lt General Hemedti's news outlet, RSF, reported earlier today that Shabia navy forces and the remnants of al-Burhan's forces were buried deep in the Red Sea,' the post says. 'Shabia' refers to the Eritrean government. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commonly referred to as Hemedti, is the leader of Sudan's RSF paramilitary. Since 2023, the RSF has been fighting against the country's armed forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The two military men were once allies who ousted long-serving president Omar al-Bashir in 2019 before becoming rivals in the ongoing civil war. The post continues: 'The report, accompanied by photos and published yesterday, said that the next targets will be Asmara and the port of Massawa.' Massawa is an Eritrean port on the Red Sea. 'The Shabia anti-piracy warships were deployed to the coastal areas to defend al-Burhan, while Lieutenant General Hemedti's RSF attacked Port Sudan with modern drones for three days in a row,' the post adds. Eritrea has a small navy force with high-speed boats that patrol the Red Sea (archived here). The post is accompanied by three images: the first two show plumes of dark smoke in a port setting, while the third shows a map of eastern and northern Africa. AFP Fact Check found that the claim is being shared in a coordinated manner on Ethiopian Facebook accounts. An overview of these accounts shows that most of them publish pro-Ethiopian government content and include the words 'breaking news', 'update', or 'media' in their names. These include posts shared here and here . Since the civil war began in April 2023, fighting between Sudan's regular army and the RSF has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 13 million (archived here). It is feared that the war could further destabilise the conflict-ridden Horn of Africa by involving foreign armed groups and regional powers. Egypt has backed al-Burhan, while the United Arab Emirates has backed Daglo. Eritrea has reportedly supported al-Burhan's army by providing several military training camps, which the Eritrean government has neither denied nor confirmed (archived here). Last month, al-Burhan visited Asmara and hailed Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki's support for his country (archived here). Amidst these developments, the RSF carried out a rare drone attack on Sudan's eastern city of Kassala, near the Eritrean border, on May 3, 2025 (archived here). Three days later, AFP reported that RSF was accused of drone strikes on the airport, fuel depots and a power substation in the city of Port Sudan (archived here). Meanwhile, Ethiopia's pursuit of access to the Red Sea has also led to regional tensions with Eritrea and Somalia. While Ethiopia and Somalia have fully restored their diplomatic ties following a peace agreement earlier this year, Ethiopia's rivalry with Eritrea continues (archived here). However, contrary to the posts shared on Ethiopian social media, the RSF has not announced that it attacked Eritrean navy vessels, nor do the accompanying photos support this claim. There have been no announcements from RSF claiming any attack against Eritrean navy vessels. AFP Fact Check reviewed RSF's official website and established that no mention was made of any such attack (archived here). Moreover, we found no credible reports about Eritrean navy vessels being hit in any RSF drone attacks. AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches and found the original photos used in the posts. The search results for the first image established that the original photo was captured by Reuters photographer Khalid Abdelaziz on May 6, 2025, when Port Sudan was hit by drones. The caption reads: 'A view shows a large plume of smoke and fire rising from a fuel depot in Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025.' The search results for the second photo revealed it was originally captured by Anadolu, a Turkish news agency, on the same date (archived here). Its caption reads: 'Smoke rises after explosions at South Port of the city of Port Sudan, Sudan, on May 06, 2025. According to local sources, a series of loud explosions were heard in the area, followed by fires breaking out at the port.' Reporting by AFP and other media describe fuel depots being hit but make no mention of any navy vessels being struck. The third image shows a map of armed groups in the Sudan civil war and their alliances with foreign forces, which was published in an article by the BBC (archived here). Despite the claims in the post, none of the images depict Eritrean navy vessels being struck.
