Sudan's paramilitaries seize a key area along with the border with Libya and Egypt
CAIRO (AP) — Sudanese paramilitaries at war with the country's military for over two years claimed to have seized a strategic area along the border with neighboring Libya and Egypt.
The Rapid Support Forces said in a statement Wednesday that they captured the triangular zone, fortifying their presence along Sudan' s already volatile border with chaos-stricken Libya.
The RSF's announcement came hours after the military said it had evacuated the area as part of 'its defensive arrangements to repel aggression' by the paramilitaries.
On Tuesday the military accused the forces of powerful Libyan commander Khalifa Hifter of supporting the RSF's attack on the area, in a 'blatant aggression against Sudan, its land, and its people.'
Hifter's forces, which control eastern and southern Libya, rejected the claim, saying in a statement that the Sudanese accusations were 'a blatant attempt to export the Sudanese internal crisis and create a virtual external enemy.'
The attack on the border area was the latest twist in Sudan's civil war which erupted in April 2023 when tensions between the Sudanese army and RSF exploded with street battles in the capital, Khartoum that quickly spread across the country.
The war has killed at least 24,000 people, though the number is likely far higher. It has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including 4 million who crossed into neighboring countries. It created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and parts of the country have been pushed into famine.
The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in Darfur, according to the U.N. and international rights groups.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
30 minutes ago
- The Hill
Israel's attack on Iran was years in the making. How did they get here?
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel's massive strike on Iran on Friday morning came after decades of hostilities between the bitter enemies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long identified Iran as its greatest threat, citing the country's nuclear program, its hostile rhetoric and support for anti-Israel proxy groups across the region. Iran meanwhile has pointed to Israel's repeated assassination and sabotage attacks targeting it, as well as its devastating war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, for its enmity. While the two countries have long appeared to be on a collision course, a series of recent developments, including Israeli blows against Iran and its allies and the re-election of President Donald Trump, helped lay the groundwork for Friday's attack. Here's a closer look: Following Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, the country's leadership immediately identified the U.S. and Israel as its main enemies. This was connected in large part to American and Israeli ties to Iran's last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who fled Iran while fatally ill ahead of the revolution and despised by Iran's new leaders. Over the past two decades, Israel has repeatedly accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons. Iran insists it has maintained its nuclear program for peaceful purposes only, but the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog agency has warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make 'several' nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. The International Atomic Energy Agency and Western nations assess Iran had an organized nuclear weapons program until 2003. Iran insists its program is peaceful while still enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels. U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed Iran was not pursuing the bomb. Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat, and breaking Iran's regional network of militant proxy groups has been a major goal. 'For decades, the tyrants of Tehran have brazenly, openly called for Israel's destruction,' Netanyahu said Friday. 'They backed up their genocidal rhetoric with a program to develop nuclear weapons.' As he has done before, Netanyahu drew comparisons to the Holocaust. 'The Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear Holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime,' he said. Over the past four decades, Iran built up a network of militant proxy groups it called the ' Axis of Resistance.' These groups – Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and smaller militias in Iraq and Syria — wielded significant power across the region in recent years. But the axis has weakened since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, triggering the ongoing war in Gaza and wider fighting across the region. Israel has decimated Iran's strongest proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. The weakening of Hezbollah contributed to the downfall of Iran's longtime stalwart ally and client in neighboring Syria, President Bashar Assad, last December. After Iran launched a pair of missile attacks on Israel last year, Israel responded with strikes of its own, including an October attack that destroyed Iranian missile sites and weakened its air defenses. The collapse of Iran's proxy network, coupled with Iran's new vulnerability, created an opportunity for Israel to strike. Netanyahu said time was running out to strike Iran, alleging Iran had taken recent steps to weaponize enriched uranium. 'If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon within a very short time,' he said. At the same time, the state of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran created a window. Those talks have been faltering, but a sixth round was scheduled for Oman on Sunday. An agreement could see the U.S. lift some of its crushing economic sanctions on Iran and make it much harder for Israel to strike. Israeli officials feared the talks were a way for Iran to buy time as it secretly took steps toward a nuclear bomb. On Thursday, for the first time in 20 years, the Board of Governors at the IAEA censured Iran for not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site and swap out some centrifuges for more advanced ones. By then, Israel apparently had already made up its mind. Trump said he asked Netanyahu not to attack Iran while the negotiations are ongoing. But Trump has a long record of support for Israel, and there appeared to be little immediate blowback.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jordanian state media says the country's Air Force is intercepting missiles and drones in its air space
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordanian state media says the country's Air Force is intercepting missiles and drones in its air space.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Mongolia gets a new prime minister who pledged to address the economic demands of protesters
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — The new prime minister of Mongolia has pledged to address the economic demands of protesters after their daily rallies led to the fall of his predecessor. Lawmakers approved former parliament speaker Zandanshatar Gombojav as prime minister by an overwhelming majority in a vote late Thursday night. His election appeared to mark the end of several weeks of political uncertainty in a still-young democracy of 3.4 million people that is sandwiched between much larger China and Russia. The new leader faces multiple challenges including high inflation, a looming government budget deficit and fears of power shortages this winter. Speaking ahead of the vote in parliament, Zandanshatar said this year's government spending needs to be reduced by about $640 million to avoid a significant revenue shortfall. 'Revision of the budget has become inevitable,' the former banker said, saying he would submit a revised budget to parliament next week. Zandanshatar, 45, studied economics at university in Russia and was vice director of one of the largest commercial banks in Mongolia. He was parliament speaker from 2020 to 2024 and was named head of the president's office after he lost his seat in an election last year. From 2014-16, he was a visiting scholar at Stanford University in California. His predecessor, Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, resigned 10 days ago after losing a vote of confidence in parliament. The protests against Oyun-Erdene's rule were sparked by reports of lavish spending by his son. Many Mongolians feel the nation's mineral wealth has benefited politicians and their business friends rather than the general population. The poverty rate remains high in the sparsely-populated country. Zandanshatar said he would ensure that economic growth is inclusive and reached all Mongolians. He promised to launch a tax reform to reduce the burden on the middle class and increase taxes on luxury consumption and those with ultra-high incomes. He won election by a vote of 108 to 9 in the 126-member parliament. The other nine members were absent. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
