US Special Envoy to Attend IGAD’s Extraordinary Summit

US Special Envoy to Attend IGAD’s Extraordinary Summit
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US Special Envoy to Attend IGAD’s Extraordinary Summit

US Special Envoy to Attend IGAD’s Extraordinary Summit

US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer will attend the 41st Extraordinary Summit of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Assembly Heads of State and Government in Sudan and meet with Djiboutian officials.

The US Embassy in Sudan announced that Hammer will support regional and international efforts in Sudan to end the conflict, promote a democratic transition, press for unhindered humanitarian access, and support justice and accountability for victims of the violence.

According to the statement, the Ambassador will participate in the Doha Forum and discuss regional and international efforts with Qatari officials to end the ongoing violence in Sudan and advance stability in the Horn of Africa.

Hammer is also scheduled to visit Ethiopia and intends to meet with African Union (AU) officials to coordinate efforts on Sudan and other regional priorities.

- Gebeyehu-Hammer

IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu met with the US envoy on Friday ahead of the 41st Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Assembly in Djibouti.

They discussed issues of common concern and the partnership contributing to regional development, peace, and security.

The Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, will also participate in the summit.

During his visit to Djibouti in November, the head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council and the army commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, agreed with the IGAD secretary to hold an emergency summit to develop a clear road map to end the crisis.

- Salva Kiir - Hamdok

South Sudan Prime Minister Salva Kiir Mayardit met with Sudan’s former premier Abdullah Hamdok in UAE. The meeting discussed peace and stability in Sudan.

South Sudan’s Minister of Presidential Affairs, Joseph Bakosoro, said that the meeting focused on finding a peaceful settlement to the current crisis in Sudan.

- The division of Sudan

In the meantime, the leader of the Forces of Freedom and Change, Khalid Omar Yousif, warned of the worst scenario that may face the country in light of the ongoing war between Sudan’s National Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since last April.

Yousif said in a political forum on the Clubhouse application that the negotiated political solution is the only way to end the war. Otherwise, the country could face worse scenarios, such as the division of Sudan into failed states and turning the country into a hotbed for terrorist groups.

He asserted that the peaceful, negotiated solution is highly complex and may succeed or fail, pointing out that the continuation of the war will lead to the destruction and collapse of Sudan.



US Launches Airstrikes by Fighter Jets and Ships on Yemen’s Iran-Backed Houthis

 Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)
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US Launches Airstrikes by Fighter Jets and Ships on Yemen’s Iran-Backed Houthis

 Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)

The US military struck more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, going after weapons systems, bases and other equipment belonging to the Iranian-backed militias, US officials confirmed.

Military aircraft and warships bombed Houthi strongholds at roughly five locations, according to the officials.

Houthi media said seven strikes hit the airport in Hodeidah, a major port city, and the Katheib area, which has a Houthi-controlled military base. Four more strikes hit the Seiyana area in Sanaa, the capital, and two strikes hit the Dhamar province. The Houthi media office also reported three air raids in Bayda province, southeast of Sanaa.

The strikes come just days after the Houthis threatened “escalating military operations” targeting Israel after they apparently shot down a US military drone flying over Yemen. And just last week, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack targeting American warships.

The militias fired more than a half dozen ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles and two drones at three US ships that were traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but all were intercepted by the Navy destroyers, according to several US officials.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet publicly released.

Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza started last October. They have seized one vessel and sunk two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors.

Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels.

The Houthis have maintained that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.