Latest news with #Afro-Arab
Al Etihad
26-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
African ambassadors to UAE host reception marking Africa Day
26 May 2025 08:07 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)The African ambassadors to the UAE have hosted a reception in celebration of Africa event, held in Abu Dhabi, was attended by Assistant Minister for Health and Life Sciences at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Maha Barakat, along with a number of senior officials, ambassadors of Arab and foreign countries accredited to the UAE, and business the reception, Sierra Leone's Ambassador to the UAE, Rashid Sesay, who is also the Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps, expressed gratitude for the gracious patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and for the strong support provided to diplomatic missions by all UAE institutions, particularly the Ministry of Foreign called for further engagement to strengthen and deepen ties in order to enhance Afro-Arab cooperation, noting that Africa Day reflects the pride African nations have in their heritage, culture, and celebration included African cultural performances and a fashion show showcasing traditional attire from across the continent. African nations commemorate this day in honour of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, which held its first summit in Addis Ababa in 1963.
The National
05-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
Attack on hydroelectric dam causes power blackouts in Khartoum and northern Sudan
Parts of Khartoum and a region north of the Sudanese capital were without electricity on Saturday following a drone attack against a hydroelectric dam, according to a statement from the national power company. The attack on the power station of the Maroue Nile dam took place at dawn, according to the company. It said the attack damaged the station's chief power transformer, causing the power cuts. There was no word on casualties. The national army accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of being behind the attack. The attack followed threats made on April 3 by the RSF's second in command, Abdel Raheem Dagalo, that the paramilitary force planned to take its war against the national army to the north of the country, which has so far escaped the fighting ravaging Africa's third largest country since it began on April 15, 2023. Mr Dagalo, brother of RSF commander Gen Mohamed Dagalo, said last week that 2,000 fighting vehicles were on their way to Shamaliyah state, where the dam is located. However, his claim was never independently verified. The commander of an army infantry division stationed in Shamaliyah sought to reassure residents in a statement issued on Saturday, saying his men and members of allied groups were ready to defend the state. "Don't be swayed by the malicious rumours spun by the militia's media which aim at undermining the security and stability of the state and its people,' said Gen Tareq Ahmed. A ground offensive on Shamaliyah would be a milestone development in Sudan's war between the army and the RSF, dragging the home of the nation's traditional political and economic elite into the conflict for the first time. Such an attack would also fit the RSF's claim that it is fighting to win equality and a fair share of resources for the "people of the margins', the phrase commonly used to refer to residents of Sudan's outlying and impoverished regions such as Darfur and Kordofan. Darfur is the birthplace of the RSF's forerunner, the Janjaweed militia blamed for abuses against civilians there, particularly ethnic African communities. The Sudan war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 12 million and left some 25 million facing acute hunger, with the threat of famine stalking areas across the Afro-Arab nation. The RSF controls most of Darfur, which is the size of France, and parts of Kordofan to the south-west where it has entered an alliance with a powerful rebel group. Led by de facto leader and army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, the army currently controls the Sudanese capital along with the nation's eastern, northern and central regions.
The National
24-03-2025
- Politics
- The National
Sudan's war far from over despite significant army gains over RSF
Taking back vital areas in the heart of Sudan's capital has boosted the army's morale and restored much of its standing after the battlefield setbacks it suffered in the early days of the war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. However, the litmus test for Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his troops still may lie ahead. The army and its Islamist allies have over the past week retaken important sites in the capital, including the presidential palace – the seat of Sudan's government for nearly 200 years – as well as the central bank headquarters, the national museum and several government ministries. Their gains in central Khartoum added to successes late last year when they regained control of the armed forces headquarters and most of Khartoum's twin cities of Omdurman and Bahri. They also threw the paramilitaries out of central Sudan, the breadbasket of the vast and impoverished Afro-Arab nation. However, the RSF, led by Gen Mohamed Dagalo, is still in control of the capital's only international airport, parts of Omdurman and large residential districts in Khartoum, where its fighters are deeply embedded and may prove challenging to push out. Analysts, however, say it may only be a matter of time before the army and its allies retake the rest of the sprawling capital on the Nile. 'Besides the strategic and symbolic significance of taking back control of the capital, the army's objective there was also to salvage the prestige of Al Burhan and the army, which had been embarrassingly run out of the capital by the RSF,' said Sami Saeed, a US-based Sudan expert. 'It's widely anticipated now that the army will dig deep in the capital as well as central, eastern and northern Sudan, while the RSF will do the same in its strongholds in the west,' explained Mr Saeed. 'The narrative propagated by both sides partially supports that notion, with the Islamists allied with the army speaking of a Sudan whose boundaries stretch from the Red Sea to the Nile, and the RSF actively championing the rights of the 'marginalised' people of Darfur and Kordofan." The RSF, whose forerunner was a notorious, Darfur-based militia called the Janjaweed, controls most of Darfur and large areas of Kordofan, to the south-west. Like Darfur, Kordofan has been mired in strife for years, with indigenous rebels pitted against successive governments in Khartoum. Addressing mourners at the funeral of a senior officer killed in an RSF drone attack in Khartoum last weekend, Gen Al Burhan was adamant the war would only end when the RSF surrenders or is defeated. He rejected out of hand the idea of mediation. His pledges to press on with the war could only add to the devastation Sudan has suffered since the war broke out in April 2023. Tens of thousands have been killed, more than 12 million displaced and one of the world's worst humanitarian crises has developed, with some 25 million facing acute hunger. However, Mr Saeed and other analysts believe taking the war to Darfur, where the RSF has the support of most residents, and Kordofan, where the paramilitary is allied with a powerful rebel group, is likely to prove a tough challenge for an army with a poor track record of fighting adversaries in the nation's outlying regions. Additionally, there is growing evidence that the RSF is pulling its most combat-seasoned fighters and heavy weaponry from the capital and sending them to Darfur, a vast region the size of France where the army is holding on to just one major city – El Fasher – which has been under siege by the paramilitary for nearly a year. 'The war may have entered the countdown stage but it will not end before the whole of Khartoum is regained as well as Darfur and Kordofan,' said Sudanese analyst Salah Mansour, a retired army brigadier general. 'The RSF is in a weak and defensive position but will use urban warfare to prolong the war.' 'Shifting men and resources to the war in Darfur is a costly and difficult task with an uncertain outcome. Most residents in Darfur are armed and everyone has a problem with the central government,' said Mr Saeed. 'The army may at the end settle for making life hard for the RSF there' using air strikes, artillery and drones. In contrast, military analyst and retired army general Al Moatasem Abdel Ghafar believes fighting the RSF in Darfur and Kordofan could prove less challenging for the army than battling the paramilitaries in Khartoum. 'It will be less difficult if enough resources are mobilised to do the job in Darfur and Kordofan,' he said. 'The battles of Khartoum and central Sudan have proven that the RSF suffers structural problems manifested in the absence of reliable and consistent communication between commanders and men on the ground." The army's chronic lack of sufficient manpower has forced it into an alliance with Islamist militiamen and volunteers linked to the regime of former dictator Omar Al Bashir. The alliance has cost Gen Al Burhan and his military-backed government significant popular support given the notoriety of Al Bashir's 29-year regime and the brutality with which his loyal militias dealt with dissent. Experts believe the army's Islamist allies will soon want to collect political rewards for helping the army and may not have the appetite to fight outside the hinterlands of Sudan's Arabs in places like Darfur and Kordofan. In another ominous sign for the army, the RSF, whose fighters are mostly drawn from Arab tribes, has recently forged alliances with two Darfur militias whose members are from the ethnic African Zaghawa and Fur tribes. On another level, the alliances signal a shift in the ethnic power balance in Darfur with the potential to have an impact on the course of the conflict in Darfur given the RSF's history, dating back to the 2000s, of widespread abuse of African communities there Another threat that faces the army is the potential of a wider conflict that drags some of Sudan's neighbours into its war against the RSF. Already the army frequently claims that thousands of Africans from neighbouring nations are fighting alongside the RSF.
CairoScene
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Afro-Arab Artist Mawadduh Blends Neo-Soul & Longing in ‘HomeSick' EP
A deeply personal debut that navigates identity, diaspora, and healing. Mar 16, 2025 UK-based Afro-Arab singer-songwriter Mawadduh unveils HomeSick, her debut EP, a raw and intimate exploration of grief, displacement, and the deep yearning for home. Released earlier this year, the project blends soulful melodies, evocative lyricism, and rich influences from her Afro-Arab heritage, creating a sound that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. Through HomeSick, Mawadduh channels the complexities of living in the diaspora—the tension between nostalgia and belonging, the pain of loss, and the journey toward healing. Each track unfolds like a diary entry, weaving together elements of R&B, neo-soul, and Arabic scales to craft an immersive listening experience. Through this EP, Mawadduh hopes to connect more deeply with listeners back home in the Arab world, bringing her reflections on identity and longing full circle. HomeSick is now available on all streaming platforms.
The National
26-02-2025
- Politics
- The National
Sudanese military aircraft crash near Khartoum kills at least 46
Civilian and military personnel killed as Russian-made Antonov crashes during take-off At least 46 people were killed when a Sudanese military transport plane crashed into a residential district on the outskirts of Khartoum, the local government said on Wednesday. It said the Russian-made Antonov aircraft went down on Tuesday night near Wadi Sayedna airbase, one of the army's largest military hubs in the capital's greater region. A technical malfunction has been cited as the most likely cause of the crash. The army said the plane crashed during take-off, killing and injuring military personnel and civilians. 'After a final tally, the number of martyrs reached 46, with 10 injured,' the Khartoum regional government's media office said in a statement. It said the crash caused a fire, which was put out. Witnesses described hearing a loud explosion and seeing several homes damaged near the crash, which also caused power cuts. A day earlier, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which have been at war with the armed forces since April 2023, claimed responsibility for shooting down a Russian-made Ilyushin aircraft over Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. The army has not commented. The war in Sudan is essentially a power struggle between army chief and de facto president Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his one-time ally RSF commander Gen Mohamed Dagalo. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced at least 12 million people. It has also created a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with 26 million people facing acute hunger and pockets of famine surfacing across the vast and resource-rich Afro-Arab nation. With additional reporting by AFP
