South Sudan

South Sudan peace talks face collapse as it gears up for first election

South Sudan peace talks that almost reached completion faced a stumbling block with opposition groups demanding a newly passed bill allowing the detention of people without an arrest warrant scratched out in order to sign a proposed agreement. Kenya has been hosting the high-level meetings since May between government representatives and rebel opposition groups who were not part of a 2018 agreement that ended a five-year civil war, leaving about 400,000 people dead and millions displaced. Despite the agreement, violence often erupted in the country of 9 million. Pagan Amum Okiech, negotiating on behalf of the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance, told the Associated Press Tuesday night that it would be meaningless to sign any agreement if the draconian National Security Act is signed into law by the president." Last week, parliament voted in favour of the 2015 bill and President Salva Kiir will have to approve it within 30 days for it to become a law. This comes ahead of the ...

Sudan accuses UAE of fuelling war with weapons to paramilitary rivals

The Sudanese government has accused the United Arab Emirates of fuelling the 14-month war in the African country by providing weapons to a rival paramilitary force. The UAE dismissed the allegation as "ludicrous," calling "a shameful abuse by one of the warring parties". The clash came during a UN Security Council meeting at which Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee warned that atrocities are being committed along ethnic lines in Sudan's western Darfur region. She urged an immediate cease-fire in the North Darfur capital, El Fasher, which is besieged by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, "to prevent further atrocities, protect critical infrastructure, and alleviate civilian suffering". Sudanese Ambassador Al-Harith Mohamed accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of "destructively launching" its war with the Sudanese military and attacking civilians, aided by weapons from the UAE. He said that Sudan has evidence of the UAE supplying weapons and that the government wil

South Sudan govt, rebels sign 'commitment' for peace in talks in Kenya

The government of South Sudan and rebel opposition groups on Thursday signed a commitment declaration for peace during high-level mediation talks in Kenya, described as key step in efforts to end the conflict in South Sudan that has long crippled its economy. The content of the agreement was not made public during the signing ceremony, attended by diplomats and civil society groups. The rebel opposition groups were not part of the 2018 agreement that ended South Sudan's five-year civil war that left 400,000 people dead and millions displaced. Kenya's foreign office said the agreement was a first milestone in the ongoing talks in which warring sides pledged their commitment to end the violence and hostilities. At the start of the high-level mediation talks launched a week ago, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir thanked his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, for hosting the negotiations. The talks have been dubbed Tumaini, Swahili for hope, Initiative and are led by former Kenyan arm

Warfare in Sudan's Darfur risks starvation, death if aid isn't allowed: UN

The United Nations food agency warned Sudan's warring parties Friday that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan if they don't allow humanitarian aid into the vast western region. Leni Kinzli, the World Food Program's regional spokesperson, said at least 1.7 million people in Darfur were experiencing emergency levels of hunger in December, and the number is expected to be much higher today. Our calls for humanitarian access to conflict hotspots in Sudan have never been more critical, she told a virtual U.N. press conference from Nairobi. Sudan plunged into chaos in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, broke out into street battles in the capital, Khartoum. Fighting has spread to other parts of the country, especially urban areas and the Darfur region. The paramilitary forces, known as the RS

Stop supplying weapons to Sudan's warring parties: US to all countries

The United States on Monday implored all countries supplying weapons to Sudan's warring parties to halt arms sales, warning that history in the vast western Darfur region where there was a genocide 20 years ago is repeating itself". US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters after an emergency closed meeting of the U.N. Security Council that El Fasher, the only capital in Darfur not held by paramilitary forces, is on the precipice of a large-scale massacre." She urged all countries to raise the threat that a crisis of epic proportions is brewing." Britain's deputy ambassador James Kariuki echoed her appeal saying: The last thing Sudan needs is a further escalation on top of this conflict that's been going on for a whole year. Thomas-Greenfield said there are credible reports that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and their allied militias have razed many villages west of El Fasher and are planning an imminent attack on El Fasher. An attack on El Fasher would be a ...

Sudan's war being fuelled by weapons from foreign supporters, says UN

The year-old war in Sudan between rival generals vying for power has sparked a crisis of epic proportions fuelled by weapons from foreign supporters who continue to flout UN sanctions aimed at helping end the conflict, the UN political chief said on Friday. This is illegal, it is immoral, and it must stop, Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo told the UN Security Council. Sudan plunged into chaos in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo broke out into street battles in the capital, Khartoum. Fighting has spread to other parts of the country, especially urban areas and the western Darfur region, DiCarlo painted a dire picture of the war's impact over 14,000 dead, tens of thousands wounded, looming famine with 25 million people in need of life-saving assistance, and over 8.6 million forced to flee their homes. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, chair of th

UN chief urges Sudan's warring parties to halt hostilities during Ramadan

The United Nations chief urged Sudan's warring parties on Thursday to halt hostilities during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, warning that the nearly year-long conflict threatens the country's unity and could ignite regional instability of dramatic proportions. Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of Sudan's military which has been fighting for control of Sudan with the rival commander of the country's paramilitary force, welcomed the Ramadan ceasefire appeal, Sudan's U.N. envoy said. But there was no immediate word from the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. U.N. Secretary-General Antnio Guterres' appeal came ahead of an expected U.N. Security Council vote Friday on a British-drafted resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities ahead of the month of Ramadan. The draft resolution expresses grave concern over the spreading violence and the catastrophic and deteriorating humanitarian situation, including crisis levels of acute .

People dying from starvation amid the conflict in Sudan: UN food agency

The UN food agency said on Friday it has received reports of people dying from starvation in Sudan, where raging fighting between rival generals is hampering the distribution of aid and food supplies to those most hungry. The 10 months of clashes between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has decimated vast swaths of the northeastern Africa country. The conflict erupted last April in the capital, Khartoum, and quickly spread to other areas of the country, after months of simmering tensions between the two forces. World Food Programme said that some 18 million people across Sudan currently face acute hunger, with the most desperate trapped behind the front lines of the conflict. The hotspots include Khartoum, the western Darfur region, and the provinces of Kordofan and Gezira areas where roadblocks, taxation demands and security threats endanger ...

EU sanctions 6 firms accused of trying to undermine stability in Sudan

The European Union imposed sanctions on Monday on six companies it said are responsible for trying to undermine stability in conflict-ravaged Sudan, largely targeting firms linked to weapons procurement and manufacturing. Sudan plunged into chaos last April when long-simmering tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary, commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, erupted into street battles in the capital, Khartoum, and other areas including the western Darfur region. The fighting has displaced 7 million people and killed 12,000, according to the United Nations. Local doctors' groups and activists say the true death toll is far higher. Given the gravity of the situation in Sudan, the EU statement said, sanctions were imposed on two companies making weapons and vehicles for Sudan's armed forces, the Zadna International Company for Investment controlled by the armed forces and three companies involved in procuring military ...

EAM Jaishankar highlights global solidarity, cooperation at NAM summit

"I recognise Azerbaijan for leading NAM during a difficult period. I also welcome South Sudan as a new member," he said

9 killed in plane crash in eastern Sudan as war reaches 100-day mark

A civilian plane crashed after taking off from an airport in eastern Sudan, killing nine people, including four military personnel who were aboard the aircraft, the military said, as the conflict in the northeastern African country reached the 100-day mark on Monday with no sign of abating. The military said in a statement that a child survived late Sunday's crash in Port Sudan, a city on the Red Sea that so far has been spared from the devastating war between the military and the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The Antonov plane crashed shortly after taking off from the city's airport, the military said. It blamed a technical failure for the crash. The statement provided no further details. Sudan has plunged into chaos since mid-April when monthslong tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere across the country. It's been 100 days of war in Sudan, with a devastating toll on lives and infrastructure, but

110 mn forcibly displaced as Sudan, Ukraine wars add to refugee crisis: UN

Some 110 million people have had to flee their homes because of conflict, persecution, or human rights violations, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says. The war in Sudan, which has displaced nearly 2 million people since April, is but the latest in a long list of crises that has led to the record-breaking figure. It's quite an indictment on the state of our world, Filippo Grandi, who leads the U.N. refugee agency, told reporters in Geneva ahead of the publication Wednesday of UNHCR's Global Trends Report for 2022. Last year alone, an additional 19 million people were forcibly displaced including more than 11 million who fled Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in what became the fastest and largest displacement of people since World War II. We are constantly confronted with emergencies, Grandi said. Last year the agency recorded 35 emergencies, three to four times more than in previous years. Very few make your headlines, Grandi added, arguing that the war in Sudan fell

Operation Kaveri: 362 Indian evacuees from Jeddah leave for Bengaluru

About 31 tribals (Hakki Pikki) from Karnataka were stranded in the African country amid the violence between Sudan's military and the country's main paramilitary force

Indian nationals evacuated from Sudan says 'fighting was intense'

Narrating his experience, one of the Indian nationals evacuated from Sudan told ANI, "The fight was intense. We were struggling for food. The scenario continued for 2-3 days"

UN fears more 'displacement' from Sudan despite tenuous cease-fire

The UN refugee agency warned Tuesday of further displacement of people from Sudan after thousands streamed into neighbouring Chad and South Sudan despite a tenuous cease-fire between the two warring Sudanese generals battling for control of the country. The fighting has plunged Sudan into chaos, pushing the already heavily aid-dependent African nation to the brink of collapse. Since the clashes erupted on April 15, at least 20,000 Sudanese have fled into Chad and some 4,000 South Sudanese refugees who had been living in Sudan have returned to their home country, UNHCR spokeswoman Olga Sarrado said Tuesday. The figures could rise, she cautioned. Sarrado did not have figures for the five other countries neighbouring Sudan, but UNHCR has cited unspecified numbers of those fleeing Sudan arriving in Egypt. The fighting looks set to trigger further displacement both within and outside the country, she said, speaking at a UN briefing in Geneva. The UNHCR was scaling up its operations,

Operation Kaveri: 1st batch of stranded Indians leaves Sudan in naval ship

The first batch of Indians stranded in violence-hit Sudan left the country onboard India's naval ship INS Sumedha as part of the evacuation mission 'Operation Kaveri'. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said 278 people onboard the ship departed Port Sudan for the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah. "First batch of stranded Indians leave Sudan under #OperationKaveri. INS Sumedha with 278 people onboard departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," Bagchi tweeted. India on Monday launched 'Operation Kaveri' to bring back its nationals from Sudan that has been witnessing fierce fighting following a power struggle between the regular army and a paramilitary force. On Sunday, India said it has positioned two transport aircraft of the IAF in Jeddah and naval ship INS Sumedha at Port Sudan as part of its contingency plans to evacuate the stranded Indians. The government had on Friday said it was focusing on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens currently located throughout Sudan. The

UK PM commences evacuation of British nationals from strife-torn Sudan

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said his government has commenced a large-scale evacuation effort to help British nationals leave strife-torn Sudan from Tuesday. UK military flights are due to depart from an airfield outside the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, supported by senior diplomats from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Flights will be open to those with British passports and priority will be given to family groups with children and/or the elderly or individuals with medical conditions. "The government has begun a large-scale evacuation of British passport holders from Sudan on RAF flights. Priority will be given to the most vulnerable, including families with children and the elderly, Sunak said on Twitter. "I pay tribute to the British Armed Forces, diplomats and Border Force staff carrying out this complex operation. The UK will continue to work to end the bloodshed in Sudan and support a democratic government, he said. At this stage, the FCDO has sa

PM Narendra Modi reviews security situation in violence-hit Sudan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a high-level meeting on Friday to review the situation concerning Indians in violence-hit Sudan, government sources said on Friday. India on Thursday said the situation in Sudan is "very tense" and is focusing on ensuring the safety and well-being of the Indian community, including working on contingency plans and possible evacuation. The conflict is a direct result of a vicious power struggle within the country's military leadership. The clashes are between Sudan's regular army and a paramilitary force called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Army vs paramilitary: A common person's guide to the crisis in Sudan

Sudanese people are running out of food, fuel and other vital supplies, and the healthcare system is in danger of collapse. But what's happening in Sudan? Here's an easy guide

President promises support to South Sudan in ongoing political process

Emphasising that South Sudan can benefit from the Indian experience in Parliamentary democracy, including the drafting of a new constitution, President Droupadi Murmu Wednesday said India will extend full support in the process. Welcoming a parliamentary delegation from South Sudan, led by the Speaker of the Transitional National Assembly Jemma Nunu Kumba, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Murmu said India is proud to be a major troop contributor to the UN Peacekeeping Missions in South Sudan. "The President said that South Sudan can benefit from India's experiences in parliamentary democracy in its ongoing political process, including the drafting of a new Constitution. She further said that India would extend its full support to South Sudan in this process," a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan said. Underlining the cordial and friendly relations between India and South Sudan, Murmu said apart from peace missions, Indian soldiers are playing an important humanitarian role and contributing