Drone Strikes Target Army Celebration in Central Sudan, Say Witnesses
One Tamboul resident said chaos had erupted in the central square where "hundreds of people had gathered" for the ceremony as air defenses responded.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from the strikes, the first in Al-Jazira state in months, and neither the army nor its RSF foes issued any comment.
Al-Jazira was Sudan's pre-war agricultural heartland, AFP reported.
It had been largely calm since the army recaptured it from the Rapid Support Forces in January in the same counteroffensive that saw it retake Khartoum in March.
According to the United Nations, around a million people have returned to their homes in Al-Jazira since January.
Wednesday's celebration in Tamboul was due to be attended by Abu Aqla Kaykal, the commander of the Sudan Shield Forces, an armed group currently aligned with the regular army which has been accused of atrocities while fighting on both sides of Sudan's devastating war.
His defection back to the army's side late last year helped pave the way for its gains of recent months.
Since it began in April 2023, the war between the regular army and the RSF has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes.
The army now controls the centre, north and east of Sudan, while the RSF hold nearly all of the west and parts of the south.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
8 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Hamas delegation in Egypt receives new Gaza truce plan: Palestinian official to AFP
Hamas negotiators in Cairo have received a new proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, calling for a 60-day truce and hostage release in two batches, a Palestinian official said Monday. 'The proposal is a framework agreement to launch negotiations on a permanent ceasefire,' the official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that 'Hamas will hold internal consultations among its leadership' and with leaders of other Palestinian factions to review the proposal. Read more:
Al Arabiya
15 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Mass protests in Tel Aviv call for end to Gaza war, release of hostages
Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Sunday evening in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages, one of the largest demonstrations in Israel since the start of the fighting in October 2023. The rally was the culmination of a day of nationwide protests and a general strike to pressure the government to halt the military campaign. 'Bring them all home! Stop the war!' shouted the vast crowd which had converged on the so-called 'Hostage Square' in Tel Aviv plaza -- a focal point for protesters throughout the war. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, the initiator of the day of protest, estimated that about 500,000 people joined the evening demonstration in Tel Aviv -- a figure not confirmed by the police. 'We demand a comprehensive and achievable agreement and an end to the war. We demand what is rightfully ours -- our children,' said Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan and a leading figure of the protest movement. 'The Israeli government has transformed a just war into a pointless war,' she told the crowd. National media published a video message by Matan Zangauker on Sunday, in which the hostage, weak and emaciated, addressed his family and told them he missed them. The video was filmed by Hamas and found in Gaza by the army, the family said. 'This is probably the last minute we have to save the hostages,' demonstrator Ofir Penso, 50, told AFP. A day of protests The protests come more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, 22 months into a war that has created a dire humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group vowed Sunday that protesters would 'shut down the country' with the goal of bringing back the hostages and ending the war. Throughout the country, demonstrators blocked traffic arteries, set tires on fire and clashed with the police. More than 30 protesters were arrested, law enforcement said. In many places, though, AFP journalists saw businesses carrying on unimpeded. In Jerusalem's main shopping district, it was business as usual. A shop assistant in the city center said the owner supported the campaign for the hostages' return but chose not to participate in the strike. 'Everyone is helping the way they can,' she said, declining to give her name. Netanyahu slammed the protesters, saying their actions 'not only harden Hamas's position and draw out the release of our hostages, but also ensure that the horrors of October 7 will reoccur.' Egypt said in recent days mediators were leading a renewed push to secure a 60-day truce deal that includes hostages being released, after the last round of talks in Qatar ended without a breakthrough. Some Israeli government members who oppose any deal with Hamas slammed Sunday's demonstrations. Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich decried 'a perverse and harmful campaign that plays into the hands of Hamas' and calls for 'surrender.' However, Benny Gantz, an opposition leader, condemned the government for 'attacking the families of the hostages' while 'bearing responsibility for the captivity of their children by Hamas for nearly two years.' Famine warnings The Israeli plan to expand the war into Gaza City and nearby refugee camps has sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition. On Sunday, Israeli military chief of staff Lieutenant General Eya Zamir said the army was moving ahead with a plan 'focusing on Gaza City.' Hamas warned it would result in 'a new wave of extermination and mass displacement.' Army Radio said residents would be evacuated before troops encircled and seized Gaza City in the coming weeks, with tens of thousands of reservists called up. UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has heavily limited the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in. Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli fire on Sunday killed over sixty Palestinians, including at least 37 waiting to collect food aid near two sites. The conflict began with Palestinian militant group Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, during which 251 people were taken hostage. Forty-nine captives remain in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas's assault resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed more than 61,944 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable.
Asharq Al-Awsat
16 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
'Pickypockets!' Vigilante Pairs with Social Media on London Streets
On a recent weekday, Diego Galdino was on the hunt for pickpockets in central London, patrolling tourist hotspots for familiar suspects and telltale signs of those about to commit thefts. Galdino, however, is not a policeman. The Brazilian food app delivery rider has become a popular, social media-fueled vigilante targeting pickpocketing in the British capital. He started filming -- and then trying to disrupt -- thieves in action after witnessing several incidents. And his videos on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms under the handle "pickpocketlondon" have proved a hit. One posted late July on TikTok amassed nearly 27 million views -- another on Instagram showing a suspect spitting at him garnered more than 12 million. "I didn't know nothing about TikTok, I didn't know nothing about uploading a video," Galdino told AFP. "I catch them stealing, I catch a lot of situations and I upload daily and grow very quickly," he said. Similar accounts have emerged in other European cities including Venice and Paris, as the era of mass tourism, social media and side hustles collides with crime and vigilantism. Galdino said he was "completely surprised" by the response. "My life's changed a lot," he added. Now, he said, he was inundated with media interview requests and got recogniZed by supporters and suspects alike. 'Injustice' Galdino, from a family of police officers in Brazil, said he has become expert at identifying likely thieves. They appear well organiZed, are often women and work in pairs. They mainly target tourists, dressing like them to blend in, he said. Standing outside Buckingham Palace, the 32-year-old said he could change his "perception" while patrolling to create a kind of tunnel vision. A network of around 20 other delivery riders helps out, sending tip-offs via WhatsApp when suspects are spotted. Once on the scene, Galdino swoops in filming with an attached camera, shouting a signature "pickypockets" warning to sound the alert. "Watch out, pickypockets!" he yells. His presence is not always welcomed though, and Galdino said he had faced violence. But focus, adrenalin and a sense of "injustice" at the thefts overrode any fear, he said. "I hate this kind of thing," Galdino added. "These people get up in the morning ... (to) steal. They don't pay tax, they don't produce nothing to society." On the streets, locals as well as visitors seemed to appreciate his efforts. "Keep doing what you're doing!" said passerby Tom, 37, after recognizing Galdino. "Hopefully tourists (who) come to London who maybe don't know about the phone-snatchers see your videos." Sceptics, however, have raised concerns about such vigilante content-creators, arguing they are ill-trained to intervene in potentially dangerous situations. Police boost "We've got a kind of performative form of crime vigilantism for clicks," criminologist Jennifer Fleetwood told AFP. "I'm sure the guy is very well-meaning, but honestly this is not an effective form of crime control," she added. "He's not going to be out there for the next 10 years, is he?" said Fleetwood, a university lecturer in criminology who wrote the book "What We Talk About When We Talk About Crime". London's leaders insist they are tackling pickpocketing. Labor Mayor Sadiq Khan boosted police numbers in the center to curb theft, robbery and antisocial behavior. "We'll be targeting hotspot areas with both plain-clothed and uniformed patrols, building on the progress we've already made," the Metropolitan Police said. Their statement did not comment directly on Galdino, but it did note a 15.6 percent reduction in "theft from the person" in the six weeks since their boost began April 6. However, force's statistics show it recorded more than 32,000 "thefts from the person" in the year to July in central Westminster. That is up on the previous 12 months and a considerable increase on the year from July 2022. Fleetwood argued the social media fixation on pickpocketing risked exaggerating the problem. Statistics show such thefts are no more prevalent in the capital than other English cities and regions, she said. "I've seen so much stuff on social media about London being unfriendly or London being dangerous. "But ... is it the case that you're more likely to be a victim of personal crime in London? Actually, no."
