Congo, rebel group step closer to permanent ceasefire
Representatives of both sides signed a declaration of principles on Saturday, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, agreeing to an August 18 deadline.
The ceremony followed months of Qatari mediation since talks began in April.
The United States, which has hosted separate talks between the governments of Congo and Rwanda, has exerted pressure to finalise a durable peace deal in Congo.
President Donald Trump has made clear he hopes that will spur Western investment in a country rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals.
The Rwandan and Congolese foreign ministers signed a peace deal in June and met with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
Trump had invited Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to Washington at the time to sign a package of agreements, potentially including economic deals.
The rebel group M23 has controlled eastern Congo's largest city, Goma, since late January - the latest in a series of uprisings - and made gains across North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
Rwanda has long denied allegations it has helped M23, which has seized more territory in Congo than it ever previously held.
The fighting has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year, while escalating the risk of a full-scale regional war.
Several of Congo's neighbours had troops deployed in eastern Congo when the advance began.
Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi told reporters Saturday's declaration "lays the groundwork for a new phase of partnership among the various components of society in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - including armed movements that have chosen to prioritise the greater national interest".
The declaration was brought about by talks that followed a surprise meeting between Congolese leader Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Kagame, brokered by Qatar in March, during which they called for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire.
Congo had previously rejected the idea of holding talks with M23, branding it a terrorist group.
While denying it has supported M23, Rwanda has said its forces have acted in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Sources in both delegations have expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations in Doha and the lack of progress on confidence-building measures including the release of M23 members held by Congo and the re-opening of banks in rebel-held territory.
The declaration of principles does not resolve those issues, instead committing the parties to "creating the necessary conditions" to eventually do so.
It also does not address bigger questions concerning the possible Rwandan and M23 withdrawals from eastern Congo.
It says Congo and M23 agree that state authority should be restored "on all national territories" as part of an eventual peace agreement but does not elaborate.
The declaration "takes into account the red lines we have always defended, including the non-negotiable withdrawal" of M23, Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said in a post on X on Saturday.
Negotiations for a peace agreement are to start no later than August 8, according to the declaration, which would give the parties less than two weeks to finalise a deal if they stick to their new August 18 deadline.
"We are confident and we are hopeful," Massad Boulos, Trump's senior adviser for Africa, told Reuters after Saturday's ceremony in Doha, adding Tshiskedi and Kagame "have both committed to resolving this".
The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group have set a deadline to sign a peace agreement at a ceremony in Doha - a sign of progress as outstanding details are negotiated.
Representatives of both sides signed a declaration of principles on Saturday, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, agreeing to an August 18 deadline.
The ceremony followed months of Qatari mediation since talks began in April.
The United States, which has hosted separate talks between the governments of Congo and Rwanda, has exerted pressure to finalise a durable peace deal in Congo.
President Donald Trump has made clear he hopes that will spur Western investment in a country rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals.
The Rwandan and Congolese foreign ministers signed a peace deal in June and met with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
Trump had invited Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to Washington at the time to sign a package of agreements, potentially including economic deals.
The rebel group M23 has controlled eastern Congo's largest city, Goma, since late January - the latest in a series of uprisings - and made gains across North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
Rwanda has long denied allegations it has helped M23, which has seized more territory in Congo than it ever previously held.
The fighting has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year, while escalating the risk of a full-scale regional war.
Several of Congo's neighbours had troops deployed in eastern Congo when the advance began.
Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi told reporters Saturday's declaration "lays the groundwork for a new phase of partnership among the various components of society in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - including armed movements that have chosen to prioritise the greater national interest".
The declaration was brought about by talks that followed a surprise meeting between Congolese leader Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Kagame, brokered by Qatar in March, during which they called for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire.
Congo had previously rejected the idea of holding talks with M23, branding it a terrorist group.
While denying it has supported M23, Rwanda has said its forces have acted in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Sources in both delegations have expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations in Doha and the lack of progress on confidence-building measures including the release of M23 members held by Congo and the re-opening of banks in rebel-held territory.
The declaration of principles does not resolve those issues, instead committing the parties to "creating the necessary conditions" to eventually do so.
It also does not address bigger questions concerning the possible Rwandan and M23 withdrawals from eastern Congo.
It says Congo and M23 agree that state authority should be restored "on all national territories" as part of an eventual peace agreement but does not elaborate.
The declaration "takes into account the red lines we have always defended, including the non-negotiable withdrawal" of M23, Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said in a post on X on Saturday.
Negotiations for a peace agreement are to start no later than August 8, according to the declaration, which would give the parties less than two weeks to finalise a deal if they stick to their new August 18 deadline.
"We are confident and we are hopeful," Massad Boulos, Trump's senior adviser for Africa, told Reuters after Saturday's ceremony in Doha, adding Tshiskedi and Kagame "have both committed to resolving this".
The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group have set a deadline to sign a peace agreement at a ceremony in Doha - a sign of progress as outstanding details are negotiated.
Representatives of both sides signed a declaration of principles on Saturday, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, agreeing to an August 18 deadline.
The ceremony followed months of Qatari mediation since talks began in April.
The United States, which has hosted separate talks between the governments of Congo and Rwanda, has exerted pressure to finalise a durable peace deal in Congo.
President Donald Trump has made clear he hopes that will spur Western investment in a country rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals.
The Rwandan and Congolese foreign ministers signed a peace deal in June and met with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
Trump had invited Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to Washington at the time to sign a package of agreements, potentially including economic deals.
The rebel group M23 has controlled eastern Congo's largest city, Goma, since late January - the latest in a series of uprisings - and made gains across North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
Rwanda has long denied allegations it has helped M23, which has seized more territory in Congo than it ever previously held.
The fighting has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year, while escalating the risk of a full-scale regional war.
Several of Congo's neighbours had troops deployed in eastern Congo when the advance began.
Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi told reporters Saturday's declaration "lays the groundwork for a new phase of partnership among the various components of society in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - including armed movements that have chosen to prioritise the greater national interest".
The declaration was brought about by talks that followed a surprise meeting between Congolese leader Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Kagame, brokered by Qatar in March, during which they called for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire.
Congo had previously rejected the idea of holding talks with M23, branding it a terrorist group.
While denying it has supported M23, Rwanda has said its forces have acted in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Sources in both delegations have expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations in Doha and the lack of progress on confidence-building measures including the release of M23 members held by Congo and the re-opening of banks in rebel-held territory.
The declaration of principles does not resolve those issues, instead committing the parties to "creating the necessary conditions" to eventually do so.
It also does not address bigger questions concerning the possible Rwandan and M23 withdrawals from eastern Congo.
It says Congo and M23 agree that state authority should be restored "on all national territories" as part of an eventual peace agreement but does not elaborate.
The declaration "takes into account the red lines we have always defended, including the non-negotiable withdrawal" of M23, Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said in a post on X on Saturday.
Negotiations for a peace agreement are to start no later than August 8, according to the declaration, which would give the parties less than two weeks to finalise a deal if they stick to their new August 18 deadline.
"We are confident and we are hopeful," Massad Boulos, Trump's senior adviser for Africa, told Reuters after Saturday's ceremony in Doha, adding Tshiskedi and Kagame "have both committed to resolving this".
The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group have set a deadline to sign a peace agreement at a ceremony in Doha - a sign of progress as outstanding details are negotiated.
Representatives of both sides signed a declaration of principles on Saturday, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, agreeing to an August 18 deadline.
The ceremony followed months of Qatari mediation since talks began in April.
The United States, which has hosted separate talks between the governments of Congo and Rwanda, has exerted pressure to finalise a durable peace deal in Congo.
President Donald Trump has made clear he hopes that will spur Western investment in a country rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals.
The Rwandan and Congolese foreign ministers signed a peace deal in June and met with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
Trump had invited Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to Washington at the time to sign a package of agreements, potentially including economic deals.
The rebel group M23 has controlled eastern Congo's largest city, Goma, since late January - the latest in a series of uprisings - and made gains across North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
Rwanda has long denied allegations it has helped M23, which has seized more territory in Congo than it ever previously held.
The fighting has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year, while escalating the risk of a full-scale regional war.
Several of Congo's neighbours had troops deployed in eastern Congo when the advance began.
Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi told reporters Saturday's declaration "lays the groundwork for a new phase of partnership among the various components of society in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - including armed movements that have chosen to prioritise the greater national interest".
The declaration was brought about by talks that followed a surprise meeting between Congolese leader Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Kagame, brokered by Qatar in March, during which they called for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire.
Congo had previously rejected the idea of holding talks with M23, branding it a terrorist group.
While denying it has supported M23, Rwanda has said its forces have acted in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Sources in both delegations have expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations in Doha and the lack of progress on confidence-building measures including the release of M23 members held by Congo and the re-opening of banks in rebel-held territory.
The declaration of principles does not resolve those issues, instead committing the parties to "creating the necessary conditions" to eventually do so.
It also does not address bigger questions concerning the possible Rwandan and M23 withdrawals from eastern Congo.
It says Congo and M23 agree that state authority should be restored "on all national territories" as part of an eventual peace agreement but does not elaborate.
The declaration "takes into account the red lines we have always defended, including the non-negotiable withdrawal" of M23, Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said in a post on X on Saturday.
Negotiations for a peace agreement are to start no later than August 8, according to the declaration, which would give the parties less than two weeks to finalise a deal if they stick to their new August 18 deadline.
"We are confident and we are hopeful," Massad Boulos, Trump's senior adviser for Africa, told Reuters after Saturday's ceremony in Doha, adding Tshiskedi and Kagame "have both committed to resolving this".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Syrian forces struggle to enforce Druze region truce
Sectarian clashes have escalated in Syria's predominantly Druze region of Sweida, with machine gun fire and mortar shelling ringing out after days of bloodshed as the Islamist-led government struggles to implement a ceasefire. Reuters reporters heard gunfire from inside the city of Sweida and saw shells land in nearby villages. There were no immediate, confirmed reports of casualties. The government had said security forces were deploying in the southern region to try to keep peace, and urged all parties to stop fighting after nearly a week of factional bloodshed in which hundreds have been killed. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said "Arab and American" mediation had helped restore calm, before the clashes escalated. He criticised Israel for air strikes during the week. The fighting is the latest challenge to the control of Sharaa's jihadist-dominated government, which took over after rebels toppled autocratic president Bashar al-Assad in December. It started last week as clashes between the Druze - a religious minority native to southern Syria, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon and Jordan - and Syrian Bedouin tribes. Government forces then arrived to try to quell tensions, clashing with Druze gunmen and attacking the Druze community. Saturday's violence once again pitted Druze against Bedouin, witnesses said. The fighting has drawn in neighbouring Israel, which carried out air strikes in southern Syria and on the Defence Ministry in Damascus this week while government forces were fighting with the Druze. Israel says it is protecting the Druze, who also form a significant minority in Israel. But Israel and the United States differ over Syria. The US supports a centralised Syria under Sharaa's government, which has pledged to rule for all citizens, while Israel says the government is dominated by jihadists and a danger to minorities. In March, Syria's military was involved in mass killings of members of the Alawite minority to which much of Assad's elite belonged. In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate ceasefire and urged an immediate end to hostilities. The interior ministry said internal forces had begun deploying. Sharaa said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession or sectarian incitement". "The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech. Sharaa appeared to blame Druze gunmen for the latest clashes, accusing them of revenge attacks against Bedouins. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators. "In al-Shara's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority - Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," he posted on X. US envoy Tom Barrack announced on Friday that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire. Barrack, who is both US ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy for the US, urged Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis, together with other minorities, to "build a new and united Syrian identity". Israel has attacked Syrian military facilities in the seven months since Assad fell and says it wants areas of southern Syria near its border to remain demilitarised. On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to Sweida for two days. Mansour Namour, a resident of a village near Sweida city, said mortar shells were still landing near his home on Saturday afternoon, and that at least 22 people had been wounded. A doctor in Sweida said a local hospital was full of bodies and wounded people from days of violence. "All the injuries are from bombs, some people with their chests wounded. There are also injuries to limbs from shrapnel," said Omar Obeid, director of the hospital. Sectarian clashes have escalated in Syria's predominantly Druze region of Sweida, with machine gun fire and mortar shelling ringing out after days of bloodshed as the Islamist-led government struggles to implement a ceasefire. Reuters reporters heard gunfire from inside the city of Sweida and saw shells land in nearby villages. There were no immediate, confirmed reports of casualties. The government had said security forces were deploying in the southern region to try to keep peace, and urged all parties to stop fighting after nearly a week of factional bloodshed in which hundreds have been killed. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said "Arab and American" mediation had helped restore calm, before the clashes escalated. He criticised Israel for air strikes during the week. The fighting is the latest challenge to the control of Sharaa's jihadist-dominated government, which took over after rebels toppled autocratic president Bashar al-Assad in December. It started last week as clashes between the Druze - a religious minority native to southern Syria, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon and Jordan - and Syrian Bedouin tribes. Government forces then arrived to try to quell tensions, clashing with Druze gunmen and attacking the Druze community. Saturday's violence once again pitted Druze against Bedouin, witnesses said. The fighting has drawn in neighbouring Israel, which carried out air strikes in southern Syria and on the Defence Ministry in Damascus this week while government forces were fighting with the Druze. Israel says it is protecting the Druze, who also form a significant minority in Israel. But Israel and the United States differ over Syria. The US supports a centralised Syria under Sharaa's government, which has pledged to rule for all citizens, while Israel says the government is dominated by jihadists and a danger to minorities. In March, Syria's military was involved in mass killings of members of the Alawite minority to which much of Assad's elite belonged. In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate ceasefire and urged an immediate end to hostilities. The interior ministry said internal forces had begun deploying. Sharaa said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession or sectarian incitement". "The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech. Sharaa appeared to blame Druze gunmen for the latest clashes, accusing them of revenge attacks against Bedouins. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators. "In al-Shara's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority - Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," he posted on X. US envoy Tom Barrack announced on Friday that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire. Barrack, who is both US ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy for the US, urged Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis, together with other minorities, to "build a new and united Syrian identity". Israel has attacked Syrian military facilities in the seven months since Assad fell and says it wants areas of southern Syria near its border to remain demilitarised. On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to Sweida for two days. Mansour Namour, a resident of a village near Sweida city, said mortar shells were still landing near his home on Saturday afternoon, and that at least 22 people had been wounded. A doctor in Sweida said a local hospital was full of bodies and wounded people from days of violence. "All the injuries are from bombs, some people with their chests wounded. There are also injuries to limbs from shrapnel," said Omar Obeid, director of the hospital. Sectarian clashes have escalated in Syria's predominantly Druze region of Sweida, with machine gun fire and mortar shelling ringing out after days of bloodshed as the Islamist-led government struggles to implement a ceasefire. Reuters reporters heard gunfire from inside the city of Sweida and saw shells land in nearby villages. There were no immediate, confirmed reports of casualties. The government had said security forces were deploying in the southern region to try to keep peace, and urged all parties to stop fighting after nearly a week of factional bloodshed in which hundreds have been killed. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said "Arab and American" mediation had helped restore calm, before the clashes escalated. He criticised Israel for air strikes during the week. The fighting is the latest challenge to the control of Sharaa's jihadist-dominated government, which took over after rebels toppled autocratic president Bashar al-Assad in December. It started last week as clashes between the Druze - a religious minority native to southern Syria, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon and Jordan - and Syrian Bedouin tribes. Government forces then arrived to try to quell tensions, clashing with Druze gunmen and attacking the Druze community. Saturday's violence once again pitted Druze against Bedouin, witnesses said. The fighting has drawn in neighbouring Israel, which carried out air strikes in southern Syria and on the Defence Ministry in Damascus this week while government forces were fighting with the Druze. Israel says it is protecting the Druze, who also form a significant minority in Israel. But Israel and the United States differ over Syria. The US supports a centralised Syria under Sharaa's government, which has pledged to rule for all citizens, while Israel says the government is dominated by jihadists and a danger to minorities. In March, Syria's military was involved in mass killings of members of the Alawite minority to which much of Assad's elite belonged. In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate ceasefire and urged an immediate end to hostilities. The interior ministry said internal forces had begun deploying. Sharaa said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession or sectarian incitement". "The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech. Sharaa appeared to blame Druze gunmen for the latest clashes, accusing them of revenge attacks against Bedouins. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators. "In al-Shara's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority - Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," he posted on X. US envoy Tom Barrack announced on Friday that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire. Barrack, who is both US ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy for the US, urged Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis, together with other minorities, to "build a new and united Syrian identity". Israel has attacked Syrian military facilities in the seven months since Assad fell and says it wants areas of southern Syria near its border to remain demilitarised. On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to Sweida for two days. Mansour Namour, a resident of a village near Sweida city, said mortar shells were still landing near his home on Saturday afternoon, and that at least 22 people had been wounded. A doctor in Sweida said a local hospital was full of bodies and wounded people from days of violence. "All the injuries are from bombs, some people with their chests wounded. There are also injuries to limbs from shrapnel," said Omar Obeid, director of the hospital. Sectarian clashes have escalated in Syria's predominantly Druze region of Sweida, with machine gun fire and mortar shelling ringing out after days of bloodshed as the Islamist-led government struggles to implement a ceasefire. Reuters reporters heard gunfire from inside the city of Sweida and saw shells land in nearby villages. There were no immediate, confirmed reports of casualties. The government had said security forces were deploying in the southern region to try to keep peace, and urged all parties to stop fighting after nearly a week of factional bloodshed in which hundreds have been killed. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said "Arab and American" mediation had helped restore calm, before the clashes escalated. He criticised Israel for air strikes during the week. The fighting is the latest challenge to the control of Sharaa's jihadist-dominated government, which took over after rebels toppled autocratic president Bashar al-Assad in December. It started last week as clashes between the Druze - a religious minority native to southern Syria, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon and Jordan - and Syrian Bedouin tribes. Government forces then arrived to try to quell tensions, clashing with Druze gunmen and attacking the Druze community. Saturday's violence once again pitted Druze against Bedouin, witnesses said. The fighting has drawn in neighbouring Israel, which carried out air strikes in southern Syria and on the Defence Ministry in Damascus this week while government forces were fighting with the Druze. Israel says it is protecting the Druze, who also form a significant minority in Israel. But Israel and the United States differ over Syria. The US supports a centralised Syria under Sharaa's government, which has pledged to rule for all citizens, while Israel says the government is dominated by jihadists and a danger to minorities. In March, Syria's military was involved in mass killings of members of the Alawite minority to which much of Assad's elite belonged. In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate ceasefire and urged an immediate end to hostilities. The interior ministry said internal forces had begun deploying. Sharaa said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession or sectarian incitement". "The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech. Sharaa appeared to blame Druze gunmen for the latest clashes, accusing them of revenge attacks against Bedouins. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators. "In al-Shara's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority - Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," he posted on X. US envoy Tom Barrack announced on Friday that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire. Barrack, who is both US ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy for the US, urged Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis, together with other minorities, to "build a new and united Syrian identity". Israel has attacked Syrian military facilities in the seven months since Assad fell and says it wants areas of southern Syria near its border to remain demilitarised. On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to Sweida for two days. Mansour Namour, a resident of a village near Sweida city, said mortar shells were still landing near his home on Saturday afternoon, and that at least 22 people had been wounded. A doctor in Sweida said a local hospital was full of bodies and wounded people from days of violence. "All the injuries are from bombs, some people with their chests wounded. There are also injuries to limbs from shrapnel," said Omar Obeid, director of the hospital.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Syrian forces struggle to enforce Druze region truce
Sectarian clashes have escalated in Syria's predominantly Druze region of Sweida, with machine gun fire and mortar shelling ringing out after days of bloodshed as the Islamist-led government struggles to implement a ceasefire. Reuters reporters heard gunfire from inside the city of Sweida and saw shells land in nearby villages. There were no immediate, confirmed reports of casualties. The government had said security forces were deploying in the southern region to try to keep peace, and urged all parties to stop fighting after nearly a week of factional bloodshed in which hundreds have been killed. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said "Arab and American" mediation had helped restore calm, before the clashes escalated. He criticised Israel for air strikes during the week. The fighting is the latest challenge to the control of Sharaa's jihadist-dominated government, which took over after rebels toppled autocratic president Bashar al-Assad in December. It started last week as clashes between the Druze - a religious minority native to southern Syria, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon and Jordan - and Syrian Bedouin tribes. Government forces then arrived to try to quell tensions, clashing with Druze gunmen and attacking the Druze community. Saturday's violence once again pitted Druze against Bedouin, witnesses said. The fighting has drawn in neighbouring Israel, which carried out air strikes in southern Syria and on the Defence Ministry in Damascus this week while government forces were fighting with the Druze. Israel says it is protecting the Druze, who also form a significant minority in Israel. But Israel and the United States differ over Syria. The US supports a centralised Syria under Sharaa's government, which has pledged to rule for all citizens, while Israel says the government is dominated by jihadists and a danger to minorities. In March, Syria's military was involved in mass killings of members of the Alawite minority to which much of Assad's elite belonged. In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate ceasefire and urged an immediate end to hostilities. The interior ministry said internal forces had begun deploying. Sharaa said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession or sectarian incitement". "The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech. Sharaa appeared to blame Druze gunmen for the latest clashes, accusing them of revenge attacks against Bedouins. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators. "In al-Shara's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority - Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," he posted on X. US envoy Tom Barrack announced on Friday that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire. Barrack, who is both US ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy for the US, urged Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis, together with other minorities, to "build a new and united Syrian identity". Israel has attacked Syrian military facilities in the seven months since Assad fell and says it wants areas of southern Syria near its border to remain demilitarised. On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to Sweida for two days. Mansour Namour, a resident of a village near Sweida city, said mortar shells were still landing near his home on Saturday afternoon, and that at least 22 people had been wounded. A doctor in Sweida said a local hospital was full of bodies and wounded people from days of violence. "All the injuries are from bombs, some people with their chests wounded. There are also injuries to limbs from shrapnel," said Omar Obeid, director of the hospital.
The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
Trump taunts Murdoch as he files $15 billion lawsuit over Epstein story
Washington: US President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal, making good on his threat to sue over a story reporting that he signed a letter to Jeffrey Epstein for the disgraced financier's 50th birthday. The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Miami less than 24 hours after the story was published last week. The filing – which names Murdoch, News Corp, chief executive Robert Thomson and the two reporters as defendants – says Trump is seeking $US10 billion ($15.3 billion) in damages, punitive damages, court costs and other relief. 'This historic legal action is being brought against the so-called authors of this defamation, the now fully disgraced WSJ, as well as its corporate owners and affiliates, with Rupert Murdoch and Robert Thomson (whatever his role is!) at the top of the list,' Trump posted on Truth Social. The Australian-born Thomson is the long-serving chief executive of News Corp, based in New York. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Dow Jones, the News Corp subsidiary that publishes the Journal, and once worked at The Sydney Morning Herald, among other papers. On Thursday (Friday AEST), the Journal reported Trump was among several Epstein associates who contributed a letter to a leather-bound book for the financier's 50th birthday in 2003, organised by Epstein's friend Ghislaine Maxwell. The letter, which took the form of a cryptic, imagined conversation between the two men, was reportedly typed within a drawing of a naked woman, with two small arcs depicting her breasts. The exchange concluded: 'Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.' Loading Trump denied writing the letter and claimed to have never drawn a picture in his life, though evidence quickly emerged disproving that claim. The Journal reported that Trump's signature appeared below the woman's waist, 'mimicking pubic hair'. The complaint filed in court alleged the defendants failed to attach the letter and drawing, failed to prove that Trump authored or signed such a letter, and failed to explain how the purported letter was obtained. In its story, the Journal did not claim to possess the documents, but said it had 'reviewed' the letter.
