Syria to chair Arab Group at UN

Ibrahim Olabi, the permanent representative of Syria to the UN, met with Ambassador Maged Abdelfattah Abdelaziz, the permanent observer of the League of Arab States to the UN. (X / @SyriatoUN)
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Updated 03 February 2026
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Syria to chair Arab Group at UN

  • The bloc consists of 22 Arab League member states, which aim to coordinate votes and unify Arab discourse
  • This is the first time Syria has assumed the presidency of the Arab Group since the change of political power in Damascus in 2024

LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic took over the presidency of the Arab Group at the UN in New York on Tuesday.

The bloc consists of 22 Arab League states, which aim to coordinate votes and unify Arab discourse on political, humanitarian, and development issues on the UN agenda.

The country’s permanent mission to the UN wrote on X: “Syria is proud to assume the Presidency of the Arab Group at the United Nations in New York.”

Ibrahim Olabi, the permanent representative of Syria to the UN, met with Ambassador Maged Abdelfattah Abdelaziz, the permanent observer of the League of Arab States to the UN. During the meeting, they discussed the priorities for the Arab Group’s work in the upcoming weeks and explored ways to enhance coordination among Arab states.

This is the first time Syria has assumed the presidency of the Arab Group since the change of political power in Damascus in 2024. Last September, President Ahmad Al-Sharaa delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly, marking his country’s return to international diplomacy after decades of isolation. He is the first president to do so in nearly 60 years.


Drone attack by paramilitary group in Sudan kills 24, including 8 children, doctors’ group says

Updated 07 February 2026
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Drone attack by paramilitary group in Sudan kills 24, including 8 children, doctors’ group says

  • Saturday’s attack by RSF occurred close to the city of Rahad in North Kordofan province, said the Sudan Doctors Network
  • The vehicle was transporting displaced people who fled fighting in the Dubeiker area

CAIRO: A drone attack by a notorious paramilitary group hit a vehicle carrying displaced families in central Sudan Saturday, killing at least 24 people, including eight children, a doctors’ group said, a day after a World Food Program aid convoy was targeted.
Saturday’s attack by the Rapid Support Forces occurred close to the city of Rahad in North Kordofan province, said the Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks the country’s ongoing war.

The vehicle was transporting displaced people who fled fighting in the Dubeiker area, the group said in a statement. Among the dead children were two infants.
Several others were wounded and taken for treatment in Rahad, which suffers severe medical supplies shortages, like many areas in the Kordofan region, the statement said.
The doctors’ group urged the international community and rights organizations to “take immediate action to protect civilians and hold the RSF leadership directly accountable for these violations.”
There was no immediate comment from the RSF, which has been at war against the Sudanese military for control of the country for about three years.
Sudan plunged into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.