Africa
Sudan: Urgent need for civilian protection in wake of escalating violence
Reports indicate that on February 12, armed forces targeted several villages in the Al-Kamlin area, leading to widespread destruction and alleged human rights violations. Villages such as Kombo Ronga, Kombo Hala Zalingei, Al-Burkan, and Tulba were reportedly set on fire.
Civilians have faced looting, forced displacement, and targeted violence. The extent of casualties remains unclear, but reports suggest significant loss of life and property. Allegations of ethnic-based targeting and human rights abuses have been raised by local organizations.
The region has seen continued violence over recent months, with prior incidents in January resulting in multiple fatalities. The Sudanese army has acknowledged certain violations but has not provided details on accountability measures.
The international community has imposed sanctions in response to the situation. The U.S. sanctioned Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on January 16, 2025, citing attacks on civilians. Canada followed with similar measures on March 6, 2025, targeting Sudanese military officials.
Conclusion:
The situation in Al-Qanabi remains critical, with ongoing violence and humanitarian concerns. Further independent investigations and international engagement are necessary to assess the scale of the crisis and address accountability issues.
Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates of carrying out a drone attack on the war-time administrative capital of Port Sudan earlier this month.
Speaking in New York on Monday, Khartoum’s ambassador to the United Nations, Al-Harith Idriss, alleged the operation was launched from a UAE military base with support from Emirati naval vessels in the Red Sea.
It is the first time that Sudan has accused the Gulf state of direct military intervention in its civil war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Idriss also claimed that the 4 May strike on Port Sudan was revenge for an army attack a day earlier on an alleged Emirati warplane in the RSF-controlled city of Nyala.
Khartoum recently cut diplomatic ties with the UAE, accusing it of arming and funding the rebel group in the deadly war, which is in its third year.
The UAE has denied the accusation and did not immediately comment on this latest statement.
Up until now, Port Sudan has been seen as a safe haven for government officials, diplomats, and humanitarian organisations.
But since the start of the month, it has been hit with a volley of drone strikes, largely against army facilities, the main airport, and fuel depots.
The Sudanese government is now calling on the United Nations, the African Union, and the Arab League to investigate the incident and hold accountable those responsible.
The war between the army and the RSF was triggered by a dispute over a transition to civilian rule.
It has devastated Sudan, pushing more than 13 million people out of their homes and spreading famine and disease.
Tens of thousands of Sudanese have died in the fighting.
Kenya and the Dominican Republic signed an agreement on Monday that would bolster support for the Kenyan police deployed in Haiti.
The deal was signed by the Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez and Kenya’s First Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi would see Kenyan police receive both medical and repatriation support in case of emergencies.
The deal would help Kenyan police participating in a UN-backed multinational security mission evacuate, whether wounded or deceased.
Haiti’s National Police, bolstered by a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police, has struggled in its fight against gangs as the mission remains underfunded and understaffed, with only 1,000 personnel of the 2,500 envisioned.
Kenyan police have constantly come under attack, with a few casualties reported.
Gangs that control at least 85% of Port-au-Prince have launched recent attacks on previously peaceful areas that police and armed residents are trying to protect.
More than 5,600 people were killed in Haiti last year, with gang violence leaving more than one million people homeless. In February and March alone, 1,086 people were killed and 383 injured, according to the U.N.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed a host of economic and bilateral cooperation agreements in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday as he kicked off a four-day Middle East trip with a focus on dealmaking with a key Mideast ally while shared concerns about Iran’s nuclear program and the war in Gaza dragged on in the background.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi de facto ruler, warmly greeted Trump as he stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital. The two leaders then retreated to a grand hall at the Riyadh airport, where Trump and his aides were served traditional Arabic coffee by waiting attendants wearing ceremonial gun belts.
“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said later during a brief appearance with the crown prince at the start of a bilateral meeting.
They later signed more than a dozen agreements to increase cooperation between their governments’ militaries, justice departments and cultural institutions. Additional economic agreements were expected to be inked later Tuesday at a U.S.-Saudi investment conference convened for the occasion.
Prince Mohammed has already committed to some $600 billion in new Saudi investment in the U.S., but Trump teased $1 trillion would be even better.
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