Burhan: Sudanese Army Ready to ‘Fight until Victory’

Al-Burhan visiting his soldiers on Tuesday (Sudanese Armed Forces Facebook page)
Al-Burhan visiting his soldiers on Tuesday (Sudanese Armed Forces Facebook page)
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Burhan: Sudanese Army Ready to ‘Fight until Victory’

Al-Burhan visiting his soldiers on Tuesday (Sudanese Armed Forces Facebook page)
Al-Burhan visiting his soldiers on Tuesday (Sudanese Armed Forces Facebook page)

The head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, Army Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, visited on Tuesday the bases of his forces, praising the loyalty of the entire Sudanese people to the army.

In a speech on the occasion, Al-Burhan said that that the armed forces “have not yet exploited their full power so as not to destroy the country.”

“But if the enemy does not obey or comply, we will be forced to use our utmost powers,” he added.

Al-Burhan noted that that the armed forces agreed to a ceasefire to facilitate the flow of services to citizens, who were exhausted by the violations of the rebels.

He described the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a “rebel militia”, which he said “plundered the people’s property, violated their sanctities, and tortured and killed them.”

Al-Burhan stressed that the armed forces would remain “ready to fight until victory,” adding that they fully controlled all military sites in Sudan.

Fighting renewed between the army and the RSF and clashes broke out in separate areas of the capital, despite an agreement reached on Monday over the renewal of a short-term ceasefire for an additional five days.

Othman Jaafar, from the Haj Yusuf area, east of Khartoum, told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We hear the heavy exchange of bullets near our area.”

The forces of Freedom and Change – the former ruling coalition - called on the leaders of the army and the RSF to abide by the ceasefire agreement, to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

The coalition strongly condemned the continued armed presence in residential areas and service facilities, as well as attacks on civilians, and urged the two sides to stop the clashes immediately, hold the perpetrators accountable, and return the looted property.

For its part, the United Nations said that fighting continues between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF in Khartoum and other parts of the country, despite the ceasefire, which took effect on May 22.

The UN reported that the fighting since April 15 has forced nearly 1.4 million people to flee their homes, inside and outside the country.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), about 345,000 Sudanese have crossed into neighboring countries, including Egypt, South Sudan, Chad, Central Africa, and Ethiopia.



Almost Half of Attacks on Heath Care in Lebanon Have Been Deadly, WHO Says

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
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Almost Half of Attacks on Heath Care in Lebanon Have Been Deadly, WHO Says

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)

The World Health Organization says nearly half of the attacks on health care in Lebanon have been deadly since the Middle East conflict erupted in October last year, the highest such rate anywhere in the world.

The UN health agency says 65 out of 137, or 47%, of recorded “attacks on health care” in Lebanon over that time period have proven fatal to at least one person, and often many more.

WHO’s running global tally counts attacks, whether deliberate or not, that affect places like hospitals, clinics, medical transport, and warehouses for medical supplies, as well as medics, doctors, nurses and the patients they treat.

Nearly half of attacks on health care in Lebanon since last October and the majority of deaths occurred since an intensified Israeli military campaign began against Hezbollah in the country two months ago.

The health agency said 226 health workers and patients have been killed and 199 injured in Lebanon between Oct. 7, 2023 and this Monday.