DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Opinion: How Sudan went from revolution to civil war
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Justin Lynch | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Four years ago, almost to the day, the people of Sudan were celebrating a revolution after overthrowing longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. On one side are the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. On the other side are the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti. Hamdok found that the legacy of 30 years of dictatorship meant that Sudan’s political and economic models were dilapidated. The lesson from Sudan is that a revolution is only the start of change, not the end.

The Sudanese Doctors' Union earlier reported at least 25 people were killed and 183 wounded in battles that erupted on Saturday between the military and the RSF. The army told soldiers seconded to the RSF to report to nearby army units, which could deplete RSF ranks if they obey. The military and RSF, which analysts say is 100,000 strong, have been competing for power as political factions negotiate forming a transitional government after a 2021 military coup. The RSF shared a video that it said showed Egyptian troops who "surrendered" to them in Merowe. Clashes also erupted between the RSF and army in the Darfur cities of El Fasher and Nyala, eyewitnesses said.

CNN —Fierce fighting across Sudan has left hopes for a peaceful transition to civilian rule in tatters. An international outcry saw Bashir formalize the group into paramilitary forces known as the Border Intelligence Units. They commanded separate battalions of Sudanese forces, who were sent to serve with the Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen. He said that RSF leader Dagalo had “mutinied” against the state, and if captured, would be tried in court of law. CNN has previously reported on how Russia has colluded with Sudan’s military leaders to smuggle gold out of Sudan.

☆ World Food Programme halts Sudan operations, 3 workers killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAIRO,April 16 (Reuters) - The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) said on Sunday it had temporarily halted all operations in Sudan after three of its employees were killed in clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) a day earlier. "While we review the evolving security situation, we are forced to temporarily halt all operations in Sudan," WFP executive director Cindy McCain said in a statement. The incident has seriously impacted the organisation's ability to move humanitarian workers and aid in Sudan, he said. Earlier on Sunday, the United Nations condemned the killing of the WFP employees, saying they died while carrying out their duties. The fighting broke out on Saturday between army units loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

☆ Sudan Rivalry Between Powerful Generals Erupts in Warfare
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Nicholas Bariyo | Gabriele Steinhauser | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Smoke rises during clashes Saturday between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Omdurman, Sudan. Heavy fighting broke out in Sudan’s capital between the national army and a powerful militia—a dangerous escalation of tensions between the country’s top two generals, who worked together to oust the longtime dictator, Omar al-Bashir , in 2019. In competing statements, the army, commanded by Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the leader of Sudan’s military junta, and the Rapid Support Forces, a state-sponsored militia led by Gen. Burhan’s deputy, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo , blamed each other for starting the conflict.

☆ Sustained firing heard in Sudanese capital amid tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Smoke rises above buildings in Khartoum on April 15, 2023, amid reported clashes in the city. KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Sustained firing broke out in the Sudanese capital Saturday morning amid simmering tensions between the military and the country's powerful paramilitary forces. The sounds of heavy shooting could be heard in a number of areas, including central Khartoum and the neighbourhood of Bahri. In a statement issued Saturday morning, the RSF accused the army of attacking its forces at one of its bases in South Khartoum. Commercial aircraft trying to land in the capital, Khartoum, began turning around to head back to their originating airport.

☆ How Sudan's Hemedti carved his route to power
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Michael Georgy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

He won the rank of lieutenant-general and had free rein to seize gold mines in Darfur and sell Sudan’s most valuable resource. It’s true, we have gold mines and there’s nothing preventing us from working in gold,” Hemedti said in a BBC interview. After years of supporting Bashir, Hemedti took part in the ousting in 2019 of his longtime ally, who had faced pressure from mass protests calling for democracy and an end to economic woes. In a video statement, Hemedti said that the army seized power to “correct the course of the people’s revolution” and achieve stability. Hemedti has said the military is prepared to hand over power in case of an agreement or elections.

The Sudanese air force is conducting operations against the RSF, the army said. Footage from broadcasters showed a military aircraft in the sky above Khartoum, but Reuters could not independently confirm the material. A Reuters journalist saw cannon and armoured vehicles deployed in streets, and heard heavy weapons fire near the headquarters of both the army and RSF. The RSF, which analysts say is 100,000 strong, said its forces were attacked first by the army. Civilian political parties that had signed an initial power-sharing deal with the army and the RSF called on them to cease hostilities.

☆ Fact Check-2019 image of Nigeria's Buhari praying at Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque mistakenly linked to 2023 trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A photo from 2019 of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari praying at Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque is being falsely attributed online to his 2023 trip to the kingdom. April posts on Facebook show Buhari wearing a white garment and praying next to his wife, Aisha (here and here). Captions suggest the image was captured at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. While he did pray at the Prophet’s Mosque in the city (here), the photo shared by social media users is from a different occasion. He said it showed Buhari at the Grand Mosque in Mecca while the president was undertaking the Umrah pilgrimage.

☆ Factbox: Who are Sudan's Rapid Support Forces?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KHARTOUM, April 13 (Reuters) - Here are some facts about Sudan's main paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, which said on Saturday it had taken control of the presidential palace and the country's international airport in an apparent coup attempt. International Criminal Court prosecutors accused government officials and janjaweed commanders of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. [1/2] Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the Rapid Support Forces, greets his supporters as he arrives at a meeting in Aprag, Sudan, June 22, 2019. Rights groups have also accused RSF soldiers of tribal violence. * The Sudanese army as well as pro-democracy groups have demanded the RSF's integration into the regular armed forces.

☆ Sudan's army says paramilitary mobilisation risks confrontation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz Nafisa Eltahir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"These movements and deployments happened without the agreement of the leadership of the armed forces or even coordination with it," the army spokesman said. Deputy head of Sudan's sovereign council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo speaks during a press conference at Rapid Support Forces head quarter in Khartoum, Sudan February 19, 2023. Witnesses told Reuters that they saw a convoy of RSF vehicles including armoured trucks enter Khartoum on Thursday. Political figures issued statements on Thursday about attempts to mediate between the RSF and army high command. Hemedti, who has amassed considerable wealth and expanded domestic and foreign relations, has said repeatedly in speeches that he wants no confrontation with the army.

☆ Sudan's years of political strife
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

April 6, 2019 - Hundreds of thousands of protesters begin a sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum. Five days later the army overthrows and detains autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir, ending his three-decade rule. Aug. 17, 2019 - Civilian groups that backed the uprising sign a deal to share power with the military during a transitional period leading to elections. June 16, 2022 - The U.N. World Food Programme says more than a third of Sudan's population is facing acute food insecurity due to factors including economic and political crises, climate shocks and conflict. Dec. 5, 2022 - Civilian groups sidelined by the coup sign an initial deal with the military to start a new, two-year political transition and appoint a civilian government.

☆ Factbox: The struggle for power in Sudan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The following outlines the struggle for power in Sudan in recent years:WHO HAS BEEN IN CHARGE IN SUDAN? Sudan began its halting transition towards democracy after military generals ousted long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir amid a popular uprising in April 2019. Under an August 2019 agreement, the military agreed to share power with civilians ahead of elections. That arrangement was abruptly halted by the 2021 coup, which triggered a new campaign of mass pro-democracy rallies across Sudan. The military has been a dominant force in Sudan since independence in 1956, staging coups, fighting internal wars, and amassing economic holdings.

☆ Analysis: Sudan paramilitary leader jostles for role ahead of civilian handover
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo commands tens of thousands of fighters in the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and has amassed considerable mineral wealth. He is also deputy leader of Sudan's ruling council, which took power in a coup more than a year ago. Hemedti and other military men are unlikely to be able to stand for election in the short term. The main signatories to the outline agreement are Burhan's military and Hemedti's RSF on one side and the civilian Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition on the other. Any final transition agreement would likely bar Hemedti and Burhan from standing in the first post-deal elections, one international diplomat said.

Putin is just the third head of state to be indicted by the International Criminal Court while still in power. The ICC accuses Putin of responsibility for the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children - at least hundreds, possibly more - to Russia. TRAVEL ABROADThe ICC's 123 member states are obliged to detain and transfer Putin if he sets foot on their territory. Kenya's President William Ruto and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta were both charged by the ICC before they were elected. Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, one of Milosevic's adversaries in the 1990s Balkan wars, left office after being indicted for war crimes by the Kosovo war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

☆ Factbox: What is the International Criminal Court?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, March 17 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of responsibility for the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine. It can prosecute crimes committed by nationals of member states or on the territory of member states by other actors. It has 123 member states. * The ICC website says there have so far been 31 cases before the court, with some cases having more than one suspect. * The ICC has convicted five men of war crimes and crimes against humanity, all African militia leaders from Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Uganda.

☆ Factbox: What is happening in Sudan?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Under an August 2019 agreement, the military agreed to share power with officials appointed by civilian political groups ahead of elections. But that arrangement was abruptly halted by a military coup in October 2021, which triggered a campaign of frequent pro-democracy mass rallies across Sudan. Another is an investigation into the killings of pro-democracy protesters on June 3, 2019, in which military forces are implicated. Several of its neighbours, including Ethiopia, Chad and South Sudan have been affected by political upheavals and conflict. Talks stalled and Ethiopia started filling the reservoir behind the dam, which Sudan says could put its citizens, dams and water facilities at risk.

After signing the deal, military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said civilians should control politics and guide foreign policy. Last year's military coup halted a power-sharing arrangement between the military and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition, and Sudan has been without a prime minister since the start of the year. The takeover led to more than a year of mass protests against the military, during which security forces killed more than 100 civilians, according to a tally by medics. [1/5] Signatory parties stand and raise signed copies of the agreement between military rulers and civilian powers in Khartoum, Sudan December 5, 2022. International partners, who helped mediate the framework deal, say a credible civilian government is needed before assistance can be restored.

☆ Sudanese anti-corruption figure freed on eve of political deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The framework deal would, according to a copy seen by Reuters, involve a two-year, civilian-led political transition in which the military's role would be limited to a security and defence council headed by a prime minister. But it sets no time for a final deal and leaves sensitive issues including transitional justice and security sector reform for further talks. Leftist politician Wagdi Salih, who was freed at a police station in the capital Khartoum, was at the forefront of an anti-corruption committee tasked with dismantling Bashir's regime. The FFC had called Salih's arrest in October "purely political". Talks have been facilitated by the United Nations, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

But among critics, their appearance has evoked parallels with the civil war when the state collapsed, militias controlled the streets and Beirut split into cantons. Such criticisms are rejected by Gemayel, a lawmaker in the Kataeb Party whose father, Bashir, led the main Christian militia in the civil war until he was assassinated in 1982 after being elected president. Lebanon's sectarian parties disarmed at the end of the war, bar Hezbollah, which kept its arsenal to fight Israel. Their pervasive influence is never far from the surface and tensions are common in a country awash with guns. Supporters of different groups fought deadly clashes in Beirut as recently as last year.

☆ Netflix's streaming hit 'The Crown' reaches Charles-Diana divorce
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Ani Bundel | Ani Bundel Is A Cultural Critic Who Has Been Writing Regularly Since Her Work Can Also Be Found At Elite Daily | Weta'S Telly Visions | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The fifth season of Netflix’s superb, ambitious “The Crown” covers the years from 1988 to early 1997, arguably the nadir of England’s modern monarchy. “The Crown” sets up series creator Peter Morgan to be a 21st- century Shakespeare for the Second Elizabethan era. “The Crown” sets up series creator Peter Morgan to be a 21st-century Shakespeare for the Second Elizabethan era. His retellings of royal life are no more accurate than “Richard II” or “Henry V,” making royal whining all these years later all the sillier. “The Crown” even finds ways to make Charles a sympathetic figure in the divorce, no small feat.

[1/2] A truck is seen at a crime scene after a shooting incident on a long march by Pakistan former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Wazirabad, Pakistan November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Akhtar SoomroWAZIRABAD, Pakistan, Nov 4 (Reuters) - The party of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was shot and injured in an apparent assassination attempt, said country-wide protests would be held on Friday as tensions remained high in the South Asian nation. "Today, after Friday prayers, there will be protests across the country, which will continue until Imran Khan's demand is met," Asad Umar, a close Khan aide, said on Twitter. Khan's supporters began gathering again early on Friday at the spot of the apparent assassination attempt and called on the former prime minister to restart his march on Islamabad. Sharif has also called for a transparent inquiry into the shooting, which occurred in an area where Khan's party is in government.

☆ Car bombs at Somali education ministry leave scores of casualties
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MOGADISHU, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Two car bomb explosions at the education ministry in Somalia's capital Mogadishu killed or wounded scores of people on Saturday, police and the state news agency said. Authorities said the Islamist group al Shabaab carried out the attack, which they said had targeted the education ministry, an intersection and a school. "At 2:00 p.m. al-Shabaab terrorists carried out two explosions targeting civilians, including children, women and the elderly," police spokesman Sadiq Doodishe said. State news agency SONNA, said the blasts had caused "scores of civilian casualties including independent journalist Mohamed Isse Kona". [1/8] A view shows smoke rising following a car bomb explosion at Somalia's education ministry in Mogadishu, Somalia October 29, 2022 in this picture obtained from social media.

☆ At war for decades, Lebanon and Israel edge towards a rare deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A general view shows the Lebanese-Israeli border as seen from the southern Lebanese village of Khiam, Lebanon October 11, 2022. Some 100,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes in Palestine during the war arrive in Lebanon as refugees. 1978Israel invades south Lebanon and sets up an occupation zone in an operation against Palestinian guerrillas. 1985Israel establishes an occupation zone in southern Lebanon, about 15 km (nine miles) deep, after it pulled back from a line further north, controlling the area with a proxy force, the South Lebanon Army. 2000Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon, ending 22 years of occupation.

☆ Watch the moment hackers took over Iran's state broadcaster
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Iran's state broadcaster IRINN (Islamic Republic of Iran News Network) was allegedly hacked during its nightly news program, according to the pro-reform IranWire outlet, which shared a clip of the hacking. CNN reporter Nada Bashir has more.

Search resuls for: "Bashir"

25 mentions found