Sudan conflict descending into ‘full blown catastrophe,’ UN officials warn

NEW YORK CITY: Millions of people in Sudan are facing a humanitarian disaster as the armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces becomes a “full-blown catastrophe,” UN and Sudanese officials warned on Monday.

Specter of instability haunts violence-torn Sudan’s fragile neighbors

ROME: Now in its third week, the fighting that erupted on April 15 between Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan’s Sudanese Armed Forces and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces shows no signs of abating.

The violence, which has engulfed large swathes of the country, has Sudan’s neighbors worried that it will spill across borders, triggering off more violence and chaos in an already fragile region.

Tunisia’s main union lambasts IMF loan negotiations

TUNIS: Tunisia’s largest union has attacked the government’s handling of negotiations with the IMF on a loan to bail out the North African country as it slides deeper into debt.

Tunisia is seeking a bailout package worth nearly $2 billion from the International Monetary Fund, which conditions any aid on a series of reforms.

As Noureddine Taboubi of the Tunisian General Labor Union or UGTT was giving his May Day speech in the capital Tunis, protesters in the country’s second city Sfax denounced “an IMF government,” saying “No to colonization.”

Why the feud between two Sudanese military leaders caught the world by surprise

ROME: Although Sudan has been in the throes of political turmoil since authoritarian leader Omar Al-Bashir was toppled in 2019, the sudden explosion of violence that began on April 15 appeared to catch the world by surprise.

Explosions and gunfire in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere across the country, in defiance of repeated attempts to broker a cease-fire, have forced nations to hastily extract embassy staff and citizens who were at risk of being caught in the crossfire.

Sudan’s army RSF extend truce, despite ongoing clashes

KHARTOUM: Sudan’s army and its rival paramilitary said Sunday they will extend a humanitarian cease-fire a further 72 hours. The decision follows international pressure to allow the safe passage of civilians and aid but the shaky truce has not so far stopped the clashes.
In statements, both sides accused the other of violations. The agreement has deescalated the fighting in some areas but violence continues to push civilians to flee. Aid groups have also struggled to get badly needed supplies into the country.