Sudan’s FFC in Cairo to Discuss a ‘Political Vision’ to End War

Smoke rises in Omdurman, near Halfaya Bridge, during clashes between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army as seen from Khartoum North, Sudan April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
Smoke rises in Omdurman, near Halfaya Bridge, during clashes between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army as seen from Khartoum North, Sudan April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
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Sudan’s FFC in Cairo to Discuss a ‘Political Vision’ to End War

Smoke rises in Omdurman, near Halfaya Bridge, during clashes between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army as seen from Khartoum North, Sudan April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
Smoke rises in Omdurman, near Halfaya Bridge, during clashes between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army as seen from Khartoum North, Sudan April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Sudan’s Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) on Monday commenced a series of meetings that will extend until Tuesday in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

The primary objective of these meetings is to formulate a political vision for halting the current conflict in Sudan between the military forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Meanwhile, the country’s Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Malik Agar continued his consultative meetings with various Sudanese political and non-partisan figures in Cairo to develop a shared vision.

According to participants of FFC meetings, the number of attending party and political leaders has reached 45 individuals. Many of them arrived in Cairo over the past two days specifically to take part in these discussions.

Among the prominent attendees are Yasser Arman, a leader within the FFC and its official spokesperson, Sudanese Congress Party President Omar Al-Dagir, Khalid Omar Yousif, the party’s deputy, and Babiker Faisal, the Executive Office of the Unionist Alliance.

During the opening session, Al-Dagir stated: “Prolonging the war’s duration may lead to the risk of it escalating into a civil war, which would open the door to foreign interventions.”

He further added that the FFC have been committed since day one to “halting the war,” in contrast to the stance of the remnants of the ousted regime who beat the drums of this war in their quest to return to power from which the Sudanese people removed them during the December 2018 revolution.

Al-Dagir emphasized that the FFC extended their hands to all democratic forces and components to work towards ending the war and mobilizing international and humanitarian efforts to bring about reforms in the country.

According to well-informed Sudanese sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat, an arranged meeting between Agar and Arman is expected to take place in the coming hours.

Arman arrived in Cairo recently, coming from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, and was unable to attend the first meeting with the FFC leadership.

Following the FFC meetings, a press conference is anticipated to be held on Wednesday to announce the outcomes of the discussions.



UN: Almost No Food Has Reached Northern Gaza for More than 40 Days Because of Israeli Siege

 Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip walk on the main Salah al-Din road on November 17, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas . (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip walk on the main Salah al-Din road on November 17, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas . (AFP)
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UN: Almost No Food Has Reached Northern Gaza for More than 40 Days Because of Israeli Siege

 Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip walk on the main Salah al-Din road on November 17, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas . (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip walk on the main Salah al-Din road on November 17, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas . (AFP)

The UN humanitarian office says thousands of Palestinians in areas of northern Gaza under siege by Israeli forces are struggling to stay alive because there have been virtually no food or humanitarian aid deliveries for more than 40 days.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric delivered the grim report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs known as OCHA on Tuesday.

“OCHA reports that all attempts by the UN to support people in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and parts of Jabaliya – all of which remain under siege – have been either denied or impeded,” he said.

So far in November, Dujarric said OCHA reports that 27 out of 31 planned humanitarian missions were rejected by Israel and the other four were severely impeded. That means they were prevented from accomplishing all the critical work they set out to do, he said.

“The result is that bakeries and kitchens in North Gaza governorate have shut down, nutrition support has been suspended, and the refueling of water and sanitation facilities has been completely blocked,” Dujarric said.

An Israeli ground and air offensive in the north has severely restricting access to its three hospitals which are desperately short of medical supplies, blood and fuel, he said.

Israel blocked attempts by UN partners to send in an international emergency medical team to help, he said.

On Sunday, Dujarric said, OCHA supported a mission led by the UN World Health Organization that was able to deliver 10,000 liters of fuel to Kamal Adwan Hospital and transfer some 17 patients, three unaccompanied children and nearly two dozen caregivers to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Food and medical supplies were also supposed to be delivered to Kamal Adwan but Dujarric said, “our partners say the team was forced to offload the food at an Israeli military checkpoint before reaching the hospital, and only some of the medical supplies could be delivered to the facility.”

Asked whether the UN believes Israel is trying to force the estimated 75,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza to move south by denying the aid deliveries, Dujarric replied: “I can’t speak to the intentions of the Israeli government and the Israeli policy. We’re just seeing the result of it and trying to deal with it.”