Latest news with #Hemedti
Saudi Gazette
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
US to impose sanctions on Sudan after alleged use of chemical weapons
WASHINGTON — The US has announced new sanctions on Sudan after accusing the military-run government of using chemical weapons last year against its opponents in the ongoing civil war. In a statement released on Thursday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the Sudanese junta had violated the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). "The United States calls on the government of Sudan to cease all chemical weapons use and uphold its obligations under the CWC," she said in a statement. Under the terms of the CWC, signatories must destroy their stockpiles of chemical weapons. Bruce did not give details about where and when the banned weapons are alleged to have been used. However, the New York Times reported earlier this year, citing senior US officials, that Sudanese government forces had reportedly used chlorine gas to strike the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in remote parts of the country. The latest round of US sanctions, which is expected to come into effect around 6 June, will include restrictions on American exports to Sudan and access to US government loans. In January, the US sanctioned the RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, whose forces and proxies have been accused of committing genocide during the civil war. Then US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the time that the RSF and its allied militias had murdered people and carried out sexual violence against women based on ethnicity. A week later, the Biden administration also sanctioned Hemedti's main rival, the country's military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, whose soldiers are also alleged to have committed war crimes. Sudan's civil war started in April 2023 after an alliance between al-Burhan and Hemedti broke down, rapidly turning into a violent power struggle. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and 13 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of the violence. Famine is rife in the country, with aid workers describing Sudan as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. — Euronews
Al Jazeera
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Sudan's army declares Khartoum state ‘completely free' of paramilitary RSF
Sudan's army has announced it has cleared the state of Khartoum of rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after weeks of intensive battles, with the civil war now in its third year. The General Command of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said in a statement on Tuesday that the state – which comprises the capital Khartoum, its twin city Omdurman, and the city of Khartoum North (Bahri) – is now 'completely free of rebels'. 'We also renew our pledge to our people to continue our efforts until every inch of our country is liberated of every rebel, traitor, and agent,' said the SAF, headed by Sudan's de facto leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. This comes after Sudan's army secured a number of victories in battles in and around the capital in March, including the recapturing of the presidential palace and major urban centres that culminated in taking back the Khartoum airport from the RSF, headed by General Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemedti' Dagalo. In late March, al-Burhan had declared 'Khartoum is free' hours after the recapture of the key airport, although smaller battles were ongoing with RSF militias in pockets around the state. Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan said intense battles raged in recent days in southern Omdurman's Salha area, which was the last remaining major RSF stronghold and home to one of the group's largest military bases. 'The army had been making gradual advances in the Salha area in the past few days until it was able to take control of the area completely from the RSF in the early hours of Tuesday morning,' she said. 'The army also said it was able to recover weapons and ammunitions that were used by the paramilitary, including drones and jamming systems.' After more than two years of devastating civil war that has gradually attracted foreign funding and weapons, control of Sudan remains torn between the two generals and their allies. The SAF dominates the north and the east – including the smallest state by area, but most populous, Khartoum – along with some central areas, while the RSF holds most of western Sudan, including most of Darfur. Where the RSF has been forced back on the ground, it has been trying to inflict damage with drone strikes, including those that have targeted energy infrastructure in both Khartoum and Port Sudan. Fighting has also been ongoing in el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state in western Sudan, as well as some key supply lines in Kordofan. More than 12 million people have been forcibly displaced by the war so far, with tens of thousands killed and many exposed to ethnicity-based violence.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Posts falsely claim Sudanese paramilitary announced attack on Eritrean navy
A Facebook post, published in Amharic on May 11, 2025, contains a headline that reads: 'Breaking news: Eritrean navy has been attacked by drones.' 'Lt General Hemedti's news outlet, RSF, reported earlier today that Shabia navy forces and the remnants of al-Burhan's forces were buried deep in the Red Sea,' the post says. 'Shabia' refers to the Eritrean government. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commonly referred to as Hemedti, is the leader of Sudan's RSF paramilitary. Since 2023, the RSF has been fighting against the country's armed forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The two military men were once allies who ousted long-serving president Omar al-Bashir in 2019 before becoming rivals in the ongoing civil war. The post continues: 'The report, accompanied by photos and published yesterday, said that the next targets will be Asmara and the port of Massawa.' Massawa is an Eritrean port on the Red Sea. 'The Shabia anti-piracy warships were deployed to the coastal areas to defend al-Burhan, while Lieutenant General Hemedti's RSF attacked Port Sudan with modern drones for three days in a row,' the post adds. Eritrea has a small navy force with high-speed boats that patrol the Red Sea (archived here). The post is accompanied by three images: the first two show plumes of dark smoke in a port setting, while the third shows a map of eastern and northern Africa. AFP Fact Check found that the claim is being shared in a coordinated manner on Ethiopian Facebook accounts. An overview of these accounts shows that most of them publish pro-Ethiopian government content and include the words 'breaking news', 'update', or 'media' in their names. These include posts shared here and here . Since the civil war began in April 2023, fighting between Sudan's regular army and the RSF has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 13 million (archived here). It is feared that the war could further destabilise the conflict-ridden Horn of Africa by involving foreign armed groups and regional powers. Egypt has backed al-Burhan, while the United Arab Emirates has backed Daglo. Eritrea has reportedly supported al-Burhan's army by providing several military training camps, which the Eritrean government has neither denied nor confirmed (archived here). Last month, al-Burhan visited Asmara and hailed Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki's support for his country (archived here). Amidst these developments, the RSF carried out a rare drone attack on Sudan's eastern city of Kassala, near the Eritrean border, on May 3, 2025 (archived here). Three days later, AFP reported that RSF was accused of drone strikes on the airport, fuel depots and a power substation in the city of Port Sudan (archived here). Meanwhile, Ethiopia's pursuit of access to the Red Sea has also led to regional tensions with Eritrea and Somalia. While Ethiopia and Somalia have fully restored their diplomatic ties following a peace agreement earlier this year, Ethiopia's rivalry with Eritrea continues (archived here). However, contrary to the posts shared on Ethiopian social media, the RSF has not announced that it attacked Eritrean navy vessels, nor do the accompanying photos support this claim. There have been no announcements from RSF claiming any attack against Eritrean navy vessels. AFP Fact Check reviewed RSF's official website and established that no mention was made of any such attack (archived here). Moreover, we found no credible reports about Eritrean navy vessels being hit in any RSF drone attacks. AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches and found the original photos used in the posts. The search results for the first image established that the original photo was captured by Reuters photographer Khalid Abdelaziz on May 6, 2025, when Port Sudan was hit by drones. The caption reads: 'A view shows a large plume of smoke and fire rising from a fuel depot in Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025.' The search results for the second photo revealed it was originally captured by Anadolu, a Turkish news agency, on the same date (archived here). Its caption reads: 'Smoke rises after explosions at South Port of the city of Port Sudan, Sudan, on May 06, 2025. According to local sources, a series of loud explosions were heard in the area, followed by fires breaking out at the port.' Reporting by AFP and other media describe fuel depots being hit but make no mention of any navy vessels being struck. The third image shows a map of armed groups in the Sudan civil war and their alliances with foreign forces, which was published in an article by the BBC (archived here). Despite the claims in the post, none of the images depict Eritrean navy vessels being struck.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Posts falsely claim Sudanese paramilitary announced attack on Eritrean navy
A Facebook post, published in Amharic on May 11, 2025, contains a headline that reads: 'Breaking news: Eritrean navy has been attacked by drones.' 'Lt General Hemedti's news outlet, RSF, reported earlier today that Shabia navy forces and the remnants of al-Burhan's forces were buried deep in the Red Sea,' the post says. 'Shabia' refers to the Eritrean government. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commonly referred to as Hemedti, is the leader of Sudan's RSF paramilitary. Since 2023, the RSF has been fighting against the country's armed forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The two military men were once allies who ousted long-serving president Omar al-Bashir in 2019 before becoming rivals in the ongoing civil war. The post continues: 'The report, accompanied by photos and published yesterday, said that the next targets will be Asmara and the port of Massawa.' Massawa is an Eritrean port on the Red Sea. 'The Shabia anti-piracy warships were deployed to the coastal areas to defend al-Burhan, while Lieutenant General Hemedti's RSF attacked Port Sudan with modern drones for three days in a row,' the post adds. Eritrea has a small navy force with high-speed boats that patrol the Red Sea (archived here). The post is accompanied by three images: the first two show plumes of dark smoke in a port setting, while the third shows a map of eastern and northern Africa. AFP Fact Check found that the claim is being shared in a coordinated manner on Ethiopian Facebook accounts. An overview of these accounts shows that most of them publish pro-Ethiopian government content and include the words 'breaking news', 'update', or 'media' in their names. These include posts shared here and here . Since the civil war began in April 2023, fighting between Sudan's regular army and the RSF has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 13 million (archived here). It is feared that the war could further destabilise the conflict-ridden Horn of Africa by involving foreign armed groups and regional powers. Egypt has backed al-Burhan, while the United Arab Emirates has backed Daglo. Eritrea has reportedly supported al-Burhan's army by providing several military training camps, which the Eritrean government has neither denied nor confirmed (archived here). Last month, al-Burhan visited Asmara and hailed Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki's support for his country (archived here). Amidst these developments, the RSF carried out a rare drone attack on Sudan's eastern city of Kassala, near the Eritrean border, on May 3, 2025 (archived here). Three days later, AFP reported that RSF was accused of drone strikes on the airport, fuel depots and a power substation in the city of Port Sudan (archived here). Meanwhile, Ethiopia's pursuit of access to the Red Sea has also led to regional tensions with Eritrea and Somalia. While Ethiopia and Somalia have fully restored their diplomatic ties following a peace agreement earlier this year, Ethiopia's rivalry with Eritrea continues (archived here). However, contrary to the posts shared on Ethiopian social media, the RSF has not announced that it attacked Eritrean navy vessels, nor do the accompanying photos support this claim. There have been no announcements from RSF claiming any attack against Eritrean navy vessels. AFP Fact Check reviewed RSF's official website and established that no mention was made of any such attack (archived here). Moreover, we found no credible reports about Eritrean navy vessels being hit in any RSF drone attacks. AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches and found the original photos used in the posts. The search results for the first image established that the original photo was captured by Reuters photographer Khalid Abdelaziz on May 6, 2025, when Port Sudan was hit by drones. The caption reads: 'A view shows a large plume of smoke and fire rising from a fuel depot in Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025.' The search results for the second photo revealed it was originally captured by Anadolu, a Turkish news agency, on the same date (archived here). Its caption reads: 'Smoke rises after explosions at South Port of the city of Port Sudan, Sudan, on May 06, 2025. According to local sources, a series of loud explosions were heard in the area, followed by fires breaking out at the port.' Reporting by AFP and other media describe fuel depots being hit but make no mention of any navy vessels being struck. The third image shows a map of armed groups in the Sudan civil war and their alliances with foreign forces, which was published in an article by the BBC (archived here). Despite the claims in the post, none of the images depict Eritrean navy vessels being struck.
AFP
16-05-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Posts falsely claim Sudanese paramilitary announced attack on Eritrean navy
A Facebook post, published in Amharic on May 11, 2025, contains a headline that reads: 'Breaking news: Eritrean navy has been attacked by drones.' 'Lt General Hemedti's news outlet, RSF, reported earlier today that Shabia navy forces and the remnants of al-Burhan's forces were buried deep in the Red Sea,' the post says. 'Shabia' refers to the Eritrean government. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commonly referred to as Hemedti, is the leader of Sudan's RSF paramilitary. Since 2023, the RSF has been fighting against the country's armed forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The two military men were once allies who ousted long-serving president Omar al-Bashir in 2019 before becoming rivals in the ongoing civil war. Image Screenshot of the false post, taken on May 12, 2025 The post continues: 'The report, accompanied by photos and published yesterday, said that the next targets will be Asmara and the port of Massawa.' Massawa is an Eritrean port on the Red Sea. 'The Shabia anti-piracy warships were deployed to the coastal areas to defend al-Burhan, while Lieutenant General Hemedti's RSF attacked Port Sudan with modern drones for three days in a row,' the post adds. Eritrea has a small navy force with high-speed boats that patrol the Red Sea (archived here). The post is accompanied by three images: the first two show plumes of dark smoke in a port setting, while the third shows a map of eastern and northern Africa. AFP Fact Check found that the claim is being shared in a coordinated manner on Ethiopian Facebook accounts. An overview of these accounts shows that most of them publish pro-Ethiopian government content and include the words 'breaking news', 'update', or 'media' in their names. Image Screenshots of several posts shared in a coordinated manner, taken on May 12, 2025 These include posts shared here and here . Regional rivalries Since the civil war began in April 2023, fighting between Sudan's regular army and the RSF has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 13 million (archived here). It is feared that the war could further destabilise the conflict-ridden Horn of Africa by involving foreign armed groups and regional powers. Egypt has backed al-Burhan, while the United Arab Emirates has backed Daglo. Eritrea has reportedly supported al-Burhan's army by providing several military training camps, which the Eritrean government has neither denied nor confirmed (archived here). Last month, al-Burhan visited Asmara and hailed Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki's support for his country (archived here). Amidst these developments, the RSF carried out a rare drone attack on Sudan's eastern city of Kassala, near the Eritrean border, on May 3, 2025 (archived here). Three days later, AFP reported that RSF was accused of drone strikes on the airport, fuel depots and a power substation in the city of Port Sudan (archived here). Meanwhile, Ethiopia's pursuit of access to the Red Sea has also led to regional tensions with Eritrea and Somalia. While Ethiopia and Somalia have fully restored their diplomatic ties following a peace agreement earlier this year, Ethiopia's rivalry with Eritrea continues (archived here). However, contrary to the posts shared on Ethiopian social media, the RSF has not announced that it attacked Eritrean navy vessels, nor do the accompanying photos support this claim. No evidence There have been no announcements from RSF claiming any attack against Eritrean navy vessels. AFP Fact Check reviewed RSF's official website and established that no mention was made of any such attack (archived here). Image Screenshot of a page from RSF's official website, taken on May 14, 2025 Moreover, we found no credible reports about Eritrean navy vessels being hit in any RSF drone attacks. AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches and found the original photos used in the posts. The search results for the first image established that the original photo was captured by Reuters photographer Khalid Abdelaziz on May 6, 2025, when Port Sudan was hit by drones. The caption reads: 'A view shows a large plume of smoke and fire rising from a fuel depot in Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025.' Image Screenshot of the original photo on Reuters' website, taken on May 12, 2025 The search results for the second photo revealed it was originally captured by Anadolu, a Turkish news agency, on the same date (archived here). Its caption reads: 'Smoke rises after explosions at South Port of the city of Port Sudan, Sudan, on May 06, 2025. According to local sources, a series of loud explosions were heard in the area, followed by fires breaking out at the port.' Reporting by AFP and other media describe fuel depots being hit but make no mention of any navy vessels being struck. Image Screenshot of the photo on Anadolu website, taken on May 12, 2025 The third image shows a map of armed groups in the Sudan civil war and their alliances with foreign forces, which was published in an article by the BBC (archived here). Despite the claims in the post, none of the images depict Eritrean navy vessels being struck.
