Hemedti: We Want Establishment of a Unified Professional Sudanese Army

Smoke billows in the distance north of the Khartoum Bahri district on July 17, 2023, as fighting continues in war-torn Sudan. (AFP)
Smoke billows in the distance north of the Khartoum Bahri district on July 17, 2023, as fighting continues in war-torn Sudan. (AFP)
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Hemedti: We Want Establishment of a Unified Professional Sudanese Army

Smoke billows in the distance north of the Khartoum Bahri district on July 17, 2023, as fighting continues in war-torn Sudan. (AFP)
Smoke billows in the distance north of the Khartoum Bahri district on July 17, 2023, as fighting continues in war-torn Sudan. (AFP)

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Monday the war in his country, which erupted in mid-April, has compounded the suffering of the people, mainly in Khartoum and Darfur.

“We are working hard at home and abroad to mitigate it as much as possible,” said General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, in an audio statement.

“Our commitment to the principles of the glorious revolution and the establishment of democratic civil rule and the building of a new military institution and one professional army is not a tactic or a maneuver,” he stressed.

“Peace and stability in Sudan have always been and still are our choice... Yet, we are prepared for war and ready to sacrifice ourselves to ensure a decent life for our people,” he declared.

Moreover, he stated that there can be no going back to the era of extremism, terrorism and hostility with Sudan’s regional and international surroundings that led to the country’s isolation and ensuing political and economic blockade against it.

Separately, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received on Monday a phone call from his Norwegian counterpart Anniken Huitfeldt to discuss the latest developments in Sudan.

The officials stressed their countries’ determination to strengthen bilateral relations in various fields, said Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

Huitfeldt praised Egypt's initiative to hold a summit for Sudan’s neighbors last week that was aimed at finding ways to resolve the conflict.

For his part, Shoukry highlighted Egypt’s efforts to reach a ceasefire in Sudan since the eruption of the crisis.

The gatherers at the summit had underscored respect for Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs.

They stressed the importance of reaching a political solution to end the fighting.



Berri Says War with Israel ‘Most Dangerous Phase’ in Lebanon’s History

FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri looks on during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon October 1, 2020. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri looks on during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon October 1, 2020. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
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Berri Says War with Israel ‘Most Dangerous Phase’ in Lebanon’s History

FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri looks on during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon October 1, 2020. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri looks on during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon October 1, 2020. REUTERS/Aziz Taher

The speaker of Lebanon's parliament, Nabih Berri, said on Wednesday the war with Israel had been the "most dangerous phase" his country had endured in its history, hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect.
A ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the US and France, a rare victory for diplomacy in a region traumatized by two devastating wars for over a year.
Lebanon's army, which is tasked with helping make sure the ceasefire holds, said in a statement on Wednesday it was preparing to deploy to the south of the country.
The military also asked that residents of border villages delay returning home until the Israeli military, which has waged war against Hezbollah on several occasions and pushed around six km (4 miles) into Lebanese territory, withdraws.
The agreement, which promises to end a conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border that has killed thousands of people since it was ignited by the Gaza war last year, is a major achievement for the US in the waning days of President Joe Biden's administration.
Biden spoke at the White House on Tuesday shortly after Israel's security cabinet approved the agreement in a 10-1 vote. He said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and that fighting would end at 4 a.m. local time (0200 GMT).
Israel will gradually withdraw its forces over 60 days as Lebanon's army takes control of territory near its border with Israel to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its infrastructure there, Biden said.