Latest news with #Sumud
Mada
5 days ago
- Politics
- Mada
Sumud caravan to Gaza suspends operations after Cairo, LNA block movement
After days of intimidation by eastern Libyan authorities and the arrest of at least 13 participants, the Sumud caravan, which had set off from Tunisia last week in an attempt to break the siege in Gaza, announced Monday that it would forego the remainder of its journey, organizers told Mada Masr. 'We were supposed to reach the Rafah border crossing today, but that didn't happen because the authorities in eastern Libya refused to allow us to pass. They made it conditional on getting official approval from the Egyptian authorities — approval that Egypt never gave. The Libyan side told us: If you don't get a permit from Egypt, we can't allow you to proceed toward the border,' an organizer of the caravan said. An eastern Libyan government official, an Egyptian official and an Egyptian researcher close to sovereign bodies in Cairo said that Cairo requested authorities in eastern Libya block the delegation from continuing through Libya. Egypt, the eastern Libyan government official told Mada Masr, was keen to avoid potential embarrassment amid growing pressure to allow the activists to reach Rafah and push for aid delivery and an end to the siege on food and medicine in Gaza. The caravan, dubbed the Sumud Delegation, left Tunisia last week with around 14 buses and 100 vehicles. Even though the 1,500 people — whose numbers would swell as more people from Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Sudan joined their ranks — were not carrying aid, organizers presented the delegation as a 'symbolic act.' Their departure from Tunisia into western Libya at the beginning of last week went smoothly at first, a member of the caravan told Mada Masr. 'As we moved from city to city, people went out to greet us in the streets, waving Palestinian flags, sprinkling rose water on our vehicles, ululating with joy. It was a spontaneous, genuine scene. In every city we stopped, there was food waiting, sweets, invitations to stay the night and offers to help,' the member said. But all of that came to a halt on Thursday evening, when the caravan reached the outskirts of the city of Sirte, the effective dividing line between east and west Libya, which is governed respectively by the Libyan National Army under Khalifa Haftar and the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity. 'It felt like we had fallen into a void,' a second member of the caravan told Mada Masr, describing arriving at the entrance to the city. 'We thought we were simply moving between Libyan cities, but, at that moment, it felt like we had crossed into a different country.' Over the next several days, the caravan faced intimidation from eastern authorities under the sway of Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar. Plainclothes security officers infiltrated the caravan, one participant said, 'sitting near our tents, watching our movement, asking questions about everything.' Eastern authorities split the group into three separate convoys. They then imposed a total communications blackout and prevented movement and access to supplies, confining participants in a state of both security isolation and humanitarian chaos. Those who left were not allowed to rejoin the main group, which remained stranded for three days awaiting permission to continue east toward the Egyptian border. 'At night, in the thick darkness, there was no electricity, no toilets, barely enough water — only the dim light of phone screens,' the first participant said. 'Even aid deliveries were barred until the second night, only allowed in after interventions by the Red Crescent and donors from Misrata. The aid was meticulously searched by the same men in plain clothes, scattered among us.' In the ensuing days, a number of participants were arrested, including activist and blogger Abdel Razzaq Hammad. The Libyan National Human Rights Commission called on eastern authorities to release those detained, holding relevant authorities fully responsible for their safety and fate. The two participants described personal belongings being stolen, participants being searched or detained without legal warrants, and the assault on the convoy's spokesperson, who was beaten and dragged away wrapped in a blanket, only to be released after an officer intervened. By Saturday morning, the caravan decided to retreat from Sirte, heading back to the west, 200 kilometers outside Misrata. There, organizers tried to negotiate with eastern authorities and find alternatives. 'Our hearts are broken. We can no longer bear the images coming out of Gaza. If no one else will move, then let us. Don't stop us from trying to stop the genocide of women and children, to stop lives being taken away while we stand helpless,' the first participant said at the time. The situation escalated after pro-eastern Libya figures and media outlets circulated video clips of a supposed participant saying that 'Sirte was part of the organization' and began smearing the convoy as co-opted by the Muslim Brotherhood. According to an eastern government official, however, the decision to block the convoy's progress was not down to any offense or suspicion of Islamist activity. Instead, Egyptian officials had communicated with authorities in eastern Libya, urging them not to permit the convoy through due to lack of permits and approvals, and to spare Egypt embarrassment, according to the Libyan source. A source at a research center affiliated with sovereign bodies in Egypt and an Egyptian official acknowledged the pressure from Cairo. 'When the caravan was coming closer to the Egyptian western borders, the state requested the Libyan authorities intervene to avoid a border situation,' the Egyptian official said. Egypt has in recent days arrested and intimidated international activists who converged in Cairo to partake in the Global March to Gaza. The march organizers directed all participants to leave Egypt on Monday and suspended plans to head to Rafah. In its announcement of the end of the convoy, the organizers of the Sumud Delegation said that 13 participants continued to be held in custody and called for their immediate release.
Middle East Eye
5 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
North African convoy for Gaza reports mistreatment in eastern Libya by Haftar forces
A North African aid convoy that departed from Tunisia to break the Israeli siege of Gaza has reported that its activists were mistreated and arrested in eastern Libya during the weekend. The "Sumud" Convoy, which means "steadfastness" in Arabic, departed from Tunis on 9 June, consisting of about 10 buses, a hundred cars, and thousands of volunteers from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Mauritania, among others. Participants include trade union and political figures, as well as human rights activists, athletes, lawyers, doctors, journalists and members of youth organisations. It aims to raise international awareness about the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's war on the Palestinian enclave and deliver aid. Stopped in eastern Libya The convoy was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd in Tripoli on Wednesday when, according to local media, residents offered food, accommodation and fuel. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters But organisers said on Sunday that while en route to Egypt, the caravan was blocked in Sirte by authorities from eastern Libya. Since 2014, Libya has been divided into two rival administrations in the east and west of the country. The Government of National Unity, backed by the UN, is based in Tripoli and led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh; its rival, the House of Representatives, is based in Tobruk and dominated by General Khalifa Haftar. The caravan retreated to near Misrata in western Libya after it encountered Haftar officials in Sirte, which is under his control. North African 'resilience convoy' heads to Gaza, aiming to break Israel's siege Read More » In a statement on Saturday, the Joint Action Coordination Committee for Palestine, the organiser of the convoy, said they had been facing a "military blockade" and "a methodical siege' at the entrance to Sirte since Friday. The statement accused Haftar's authorities of not only blocking the convoy's advance but also isolating it by cutting off communication and the internet. Haftar's forces are also accused of preventing the delivery of food, water and medical supplies to the approximately 1,500 participants. A support caravan, organised by Libyan citizens in solidarity, was forcibly stopped from entering Sirte. The organisers also denounced the arrest of participants, including at least three bloggers documenting the caravan's journey since its departure. The trhee arrested participants have been identified as Tunisian Ala Ben Amara and Algerians Bilal Ourtani and Zidane Nezar. They have been accused of posting "offensive videos" and reportedly denied contact with lawyers or family. Wael Nawar, the spokesperson for the caravan, said on Facebook on Saturday that he had been kidnapped, violently assaulted and robbed of his money by Haftar-allied authorities. In another statement on Sunday, the organisers demanded the immediate release of 13 participants still detained by the eastern Libyan authorities. According to the statement, one officer even threatened participants at gunpoint during one of the arrests. Egypt and UAE, allies of Haftar Some Libyan news websites have suggested that the convoy was stopped at the entrance to Sirte after pressure from Egypt. Cairo said on Wednesday that any form of pro-Palestinian action by "foreign delegations" on its territory required "prior authorisation". That same day, Israel urged Egyptian authorities to ban any "act of provocation' by pro-Palestinian activists on their territory and any 'attempted entry into Gaza'. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has previously been a key backer of Haftar, although they are on opposite sides of the war in Sudan, which is raging on both countries' southern borders. Egypt detains nearly 200 foreigners who flew in to join Gaza march Read More » But the two men are nevertheless allied to the UAE, which has backed them financially before and is a key Arab ally of Israel. The Sumud convoy is part of the larger Global March to Gaza movement, which includes around 4,000 activists from around 80 countries. Both movements were expected to coordinate in Egypt before marching to the Rafah crossing. The Global March was blocked on Friday by Egyptian authorities as it tried to reach Ismailia, 45km east of Cairo. AFP reported that on Friday, during police operations at various checkpoints, dozens of activists were intercepted, sometimes assaulted, and their passports confiscated, before being forcibly put on buses. Several dozen activists were later freed in Cairo, while others remain in custody, according to organisers. French-Palestinian participant Sami, who came with his father and a friend from Paris, expressed his anger to RFI radio. "It makes me feel ashamed for this Egyptian government to be stuck here while a genocide is taking place. We're all here peacefully to break this blockade and bring in humanitarian aid, and now we see how we're being welcomed. It's a disgrace. It's disgusting complicity."
Daily Maverick
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Human rights for all: Why I am in Egypt to join the Global March to Gaza
Gaza, right now, is the largest concentration camp the world has ever seen, dwarfing in size the camps set up by the British in South Africa or by the Germans in Namibia and Poland. In Gaza, two million people are incarcerated by Israel's powerful military, backed by US bombs. They live without homes (which have all been bombed), without hospitals (which have also all been bombed) and without safe drinking water (Israel has bombed that too). The people of Gaza are also starving. They have no access to food. This is by design. Thousands of trucks packed with food and medical supplies have been waiting at the border for more than two months. Israel has refused to let them in. Instead of opening the border it is setting up militarised distribution points, and then shooting the starving civilians who gather, desperate for food. Israel is purposely starving Gazans to force them to give up their struggle for freedom and accept their removal out of the strip. This is the definition of ethnic cleansing. I do not merely give my opinion here. This is actually the stated policy of the Israeli government, which has boasted that the 'Trump Plan' to remove Palestinians from Gaza is one of their central war aims. Even a former Israeli prime minister, who has been defending the war for 20 months, now concedes that Israel is committing war crimes. But this isn't just a war crime. According to Holocaust experts like Raz Segal as well as independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, this is a textbook case of genocide. We are looking at what is arguably the worst atrocity of the 21st Century. If not that, certainly the most documented. The Global March to Gaza is a humanitarian protest that seeks to pressure the Israeli government to stop the blockade and end its genocidal war in the Gaza Strip. Along with more than 50 other South Africans, we have flown to Cairo. From there we will take a bus into the Sinai Peninsula and march for two days (50 kilometres) all the way to the Rafah Crossing. The march will also be joined by the Sumud humanitarian convoy of 7,000 people that began in Tunisia and will also reach Rafah on 15 June. Despite the obvious danger, we have decided to join this first-of-its-kind global march to the doorstep of genocide. For over 20 months, we have been protesting against the genocide in our own countries. (Some of us have been protesting Israeli apartheid for decades.) We have been publishing articles, writing books, painting murals, hanging banners, speaking at Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith events. We have also been lobbying our governments to act against and sanction the Israeli regime. Yet the genocide has continued. Where is the backbone of those governments who claim to support the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians? We feel we have no other choice but to try something new. Never before have thousands of civilians travelled thousands of kilometres to converge on the site of an ongoing genocide to try to stop it. We are doing this because we are desperate for real change rather than platitudes. When we see photos of starving children, when we watch videos of a man pushing a wheelbarrow of dismembered body parts through the ruins of Khan Yunis, when we hear the last words of little Hind Rajab before being shot by surrounding tanks, we see what could so easily be ourselves. And we see the necessity of our intervention. What if this were happening to us? What would we want the world to do about it? This is why we chant we are all Palestinians. This is why we call for freedom from the river to the sea. When Jews have asserted 'never again' after the Nazi Holocaust killed tens of millions of Roma, Slavs, homosexuals, disabled people and people of the Jewish faith, we know that its real meaning was not 'never again' just for Jews. For those of us who believe in the equality of all human beings, we recognise that this means that we should stand against the persecution of all people. We mean that we must fight all structures of colonialism, racism, sexism, queerphobia and of all other forms of oppression — wherever we encounter it. Since never again must mean never again for anyone; we march to make this a reality. As we head to Rafah, you can support our call to end the siege and end the genocide by following our journey, by amplifying it on social media, and by calling on your government to sanction the Israeli regime. DM
Saba Yemen
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Maghreb "Resilience Convoy" continues journey to break siege on Gaza
Tripoli - Saba: The Maghreb "Resilience Convoy/Sumud" to break the siege on the Gaza Strip continued its journey to Egypt on Wednesday, then to the border with the Strip after entering Libya. The convoy's organizers announced the start of the second phase of the journey. The first group of the Maghreb "Resilience Convoy" to break the siege on Gaza arrived Tuesday, from Tunisia to the Libyan city of al-Zawiya, 51 km from the capital, Tripoli. Dr. Mohammed Amin Balnour, the medical coordinator of the "Resilience Convoy" to Break the Siege on Gaza, stated that the reception in Libya "was exceptional, and people took to the streets to greet the convoy, while Libyan security personnel gave it an official salute." Balnour added that the Libyans "provided the convoy with all necessary aid, including food, cold water, and other supplies." Regarding the health status of the convoy members, Balnour said, "The health situation is good, with only some cases of travel fatigue." He added, "One patient was returned to Tunisia from Ben Guerdane on the border with Libya." The convoy set off on Monday morning from Tunis, heading for Gaza, in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade and show solidarity with the Palestinians. Approximately 1,700 activists are participating in the convoy, with others expected to join them on the way to the Libyan border, along with Libyan organizations and supporters. According to the activists' overland journey, the starting point was Tunis, heading south toward the Tunisian-Libyan border. The journey will extend across Libya to its border with Egypt, and then to the Rafah land crossing. The overland convoy is expected to arrive in Cairo on Thursday and then head to the Rafah crossing, where it will arrive on Sunday, according to what the organizers posted on their social media page. Approximately 1,500 Tunisian civil society and human rights activists, as well as approximately 200 Algerians, participated in this first-of-its-kind land convoy to break the siege on Gaza. Others, along with Libyan organizations and supporters, will join the convoy en route to the Libyan border. According to organizers, nine buses and 100 private cars set out from the Tunisian capital toward the Libyan border. Additional Libyan vehicles are expected to join the convoy as it travels toward the Egyptian border. The Arab "Sumud" convoy comes as Israeli occupation authorities intercepted the ship "Madeleine," carrying 12 international activists. The convoy is part of an international civil society movement that includes more than 30 countries in partnership with the Global March to Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and the Joint Action Coordination for Palestine. Organizers said the convoy is not carrying aid to Gaza, but rather aims to carry out a "symbolic" mission in the Palestinian enclave, which the United Nations has described as the hungriest place on earth. Israel recently allowed limited aid into Gaza after a nearly three-month land blockade. The limited aid allowed by the Israeli occupation authorities is distributed through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is supported by Israel and the United States, is rejected by the UN, and has faced widespread criticism for its distribution mechanism. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Asharq Al-Awsat
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Hamdok: Retaking Khartoum or Forming a Government Won't End Sudan's War
Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has warned that recent military gains by the Sudanese army, including the recapture of Khartoum, will not bring an end to the country's devastating civil war. Speaking on the sidelines of the Mo Ibrahim Governance Forum in Morocco, Hamdok dismissed efforts by the Port Sudan-based authorities to appoint a new prime minister and form a government, calling them 'fake' and 'irrelevant.' There is no military solution to this conflict, Hamdok told The Associated Press, adding that whether Khartoum is taken or not, 'it doesn't matter,' as neither side can achieve a decisive victory. The forum, held in Marrakech from June 1 to 3, brought together African and international leaders to discuss governance and development challenges across the continent. Sudan's conflict dominated the discussions, with members of the civilian coalition Sumud - led by Hamdok - highlighting the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe and rejecting military-led political maneuvers. Sumud leaders warned that attempts to restore Sudan's African Union membership, suspended after the 2021 military coup, could legitimize a flawed political process. They urged the international community not to fall into what they described as a 'trap' by recognizing unrepresentative governance. More than two years of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have left at least 24,000 dead, though many believe the true toll is far higher. Over 13 million people have been displaced, including 4 million who fled to neighboring countries. Famine and disease, including cholera, are spreading rapidly. Despite the army's territorial gains and the recent appointment of Kamil al-Tayeb Idris as prime minister, the RSF has regrouped in Darfur and advanced in other regions, including Kordofan. Hamdok dismissed suggestions that these developments signal an end to the war, calling such claims 'nonsense.' Hamdok, Sudan's first civilian prime minister in decades, led a fragile transition following the 2019 ouster of Omar al-Bashir. He resigned in early 2022 after a military coup derailed efforts at democratic reform. Now, he warns that genuine peace is impossible without addressing Sudan's deep-rooted issues, including regional inequality, identity conflicts, and the role of religion in governance. 'Any attempt to rebuild the country while fighting continues is absurd,' Hamdok said. 'Trusting the military to deliver democracy is a dangerous illusion.'
