Sudan RSF leader visits Uganda in first known wartime foreign trip

Deputy head of Sudan’s sovereign council Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo speaks during a press conference in Khartoum, Sudan. (File/Reuters)
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Updated 28 December 2023
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Sudan RSF leader visits Uganda in first known wartime foreign trip

  • Yoweri Museveni confirmed the meeting, saying he welcomed Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to Rwakitura

KHARTOUM: The leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said on Wednesday he met Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, his first confirmed appearance outside of Sudan since the war between RSF and the Sudanese army broke out in April.
Dagalo, whose whereabouts during the war have been unknown, said on X the two discussed developments in Sudan, as well as his vision for negotiations to end the war. Museveni confirmed the meeting in a post on X, saying he welcomed Dagalo to his country home Rwakitura.

Sudan’s army and the RSF have been locked since mid-April in a conflict that has devastated the capital Khartoum and triggered waves of ethnic killings in Darfur despite several rounds of diplomacy to halt the fighting.
The RSF has been gaining momentum, taking over Wad Madani, a city in the center of the country earlier this month. Its soldiers have been accused of looting and killing civilians including in surrounding villages, allegations it rejects.
Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that Dagalo was not able to travel to Djibouti, the current chair of regional body IGAD for a planned initial meeting with Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.
The meeting, which was meant to help find an end to the war, is to be rescheduled to an unspecified date in January due to “technical issues,” the statement said.
A source familiar with the matter said the meeting was postponed because of disagreements between the two, without giving further details.


Syria participates in coalition meeting against Daesh for first time

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Syria participates in coalition meeting against Daesh for first time

  • Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, intelligence chief Hussein Al-Salama attend gathering in Saudi capital

LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic has participated in a meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh for the first time since the group’s establishment in 2014.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani and intelligence chief Hussein Al-Salama attended the meeting of the political directors of the coalition, which was held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Monday.

Syria’s participation in the meeting, which aims to combat the cross-border terror group, marks a significant shift in regional and international counterterrorism efforts.

The country became the 90th member of the coalition in November following President Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington and his meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The visit resulted in a declaration of political cooperation, without military commitments, positioning Syria as a partner in efforts to combat Daesh and support regional stability, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.

Al-Shaibani said: “Our meeting today was constructive and fruitful, and we emphasized that supporting Syria is a shared responsibility to enhance security and stability.

“We thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and all participating countries for their efforts and support for Syria and its people.”