KHARTOUM: Five Sudanese security forces were killed in an ambush by an “outlawed” armed group in the restive Darfur region, police said in a statement Friday.
“A joint security force comprising the armed forces, police and the Rapid Support Forces came under treacherous attack yesterday evening by an outlawed group in Central Darfur state,” the statement said, without identifying the group.
The attack “left five security forces killed including a police lieutenant,” it said, adding that an unspecified number of others were wounded.
It was not immediately clear if there were casualties among the assailants.
Sudan has been reeling from deepening unrest since a military coup in October last year, led by army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.
The move ousted key civilian groups from power and derailed a fragile transition that had been in place following the 2019 ouster of longtime president Omar Al-Bashir.
The power grab exacerbated political and economic turmoil in the country, and the security situation has also deteriorated, with a spike in ethnic clashes in Sudan’s far-flung regions.
Last month, Burhan pledged to step aside and make way for civilian groups to form a new government, but the main civilian bloc dismissed the move as a “ruse.”
Sudan’s westernmost Darfur region has seen deadly violence since the coup.
In June, more than 125 people were killed in clashes between Arab and non-Arab groups in West Darfur state, according to the United Nations.
Civil conflict erupted in Darfur in 2003, pitting ethnic minority rebels who complained of discrimination against Bashir’s Arab-dominated government.
Khartoum then unleashed the Janjaweed, mainly recruited from Arab pastoralist tribes, who were blamed for atrocities including murder, rape, looting and burning villages.
The scorched-earth campaign left 300,000 people dead and displaced 2.5 million, according to the United Nations.
Many Janjaweed have since been integrated into the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, now de facto deputy leader of Sudan, according to rights groups.
In 2020, Sudan signed a peace deal with key rebel groups including from Darfur.
The main conflict has subsided over the years, but the region remains awash with weapons and deadly clashes often erupt over access to pasture or water.
On Monday, Daglo said the October coup had failed to bring about change in Sudan.
“The whole thing failed and now we (Sudan) have become worse,” he said.
Five security forces killed in attack in Sudan’s Darfur: police
https://arab.news/886as
Five security forces killed in attack in Sudan’s Darfur: police
- The attack left five security forces killed including a police lieutenant and injured others
- It was not immediately clear if there were casualties among the assailants
President Abbas hopes 2026 brings progress on Palestinian statehood
- Leader endorses Gaza committee, cites positive indications from US administration to resolving cause
RAMALLAH: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that Palestine is determined to continue its efforts with US President Donald Trump and other relevant partners.
He expressed hope that 2026 will witness progress toward resolving the Palestinian cause, citing positive indications from the US administration.
He was speaking during a ceremony marking his receipt of an honorary doctorate from the Arab American University in Ramallah.
Abbas said the state of Palestine has announced its support for the formation of the Palestinian Administrative Committee in the Gaza Strip during the transitional phase.
He expressed appreciation for the efforts of Trump and mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye, and for moving toward the implementation of the second phase of Trump’s plan.
Abbas reaffirmed the importance of linking the institutions of the PA in the West Bank and Gaza, stressing the need to avoid creating parallel administrative, legal, or security systems that would entrench division.
He outlined his political vision based on the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and return, and the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace and security with its neighbors.
The president said the Palestinian state would be democratic, based on equal citizenship, political pluralism, freedom of expression, the formation of political parties, the rule of law, good governance, human rights, integrity, and equality.
Abbas stressed that direct legislative and presidential elections are the foundation of democratic governance and the only path to the peaceful transfer of power under the rule of law, transparency, accountability, and the empowerment of women and youth.
He noted that work is underway to draft a temporary constitution and a political parties law in preparation for the upcoming elections.
Abbas affirmed that the Palestinian state remains committed to international law and the agreements and treaties signed with other states and international organizations.
The president reiterated that peaceful popular resistance, alongside political, diplomatic, and legal action, remains the strategic choice to end the occupation.
He said the Palestinian people continue to safeguard their presence, history, identity, and national memory despite immense challenges, adding that despite the catastrophe caused by the war in Gaza, they remain determined to rebuild the enclave and what has been destroyed across the West Bank.
Abbas also voiced confidence in Palestinian universities, saying they will not only transmit knowledge but also advance it through investment in scientific research and partnerships with the private sector and the state, emphasizing that science and technology are key drivers of national progress.
He stressed that it is time for the Palestinian people to write their own complete history, present their authentic narrative, and decisively refute false and distorted accounts that seek to misrepresent the reality and history of the Palestinian people.
