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Iraqi Defense Minister Starts Washington Visit

Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Mohammed al-Abbasi boards military cargo plane during domestic flight in June (Iraqi Ministry of Defense)
Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Mohammed al-Abbasi boards military cargo plane during domestic flight in June (Iraqi Ministry of Defense)
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Iraqi Defense Minister Starts Washington Visit

Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Mohammed al-Abbasi boards military cargo plane during domestic flight in June (Iraqi Ministry of Defense)
Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Mohammed al-Abbasi boards military cargo plane during domestic flight in June (Iraqi Ministry of Defense)

Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Mohammed al-Abbasi embarked on a visit to the US on Monday, leading a high-ranking military delegation.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasoul, spokesperson for the Iraqi Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, stated in a press release that “the delegation will engage in several meetings discussing a range of topics, foremost among them the future relationship of the international coalition’s presence and the bilateral security cooperation between Iraq and the US.”

The delegation will discuss the exchange of expertise and information, particularly in the intelligence domain, aimed at tracking down the remnants of ISIS terrorists.

The visit also entails “a series of meetings with officials at the US Department of Defense to further the mutual interests between the two countries.”

The Iraqi military delegation includes the head of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), Lt. Gen. Abdulwahab Al-Saadi, Chief of Staff of the Army Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, Lt. Gen. Qais Al-Mohammedawi, Deputy Commander of Joint Operations, as well as several advisors and officers.

The visit of the Iraqi delegation comes in response to an invitation from the US Department of Defense, otherwise known as the Pentagon.

“This visit is significant at this time, especially considering that the accompanying delegation to the Defense Minister includes the head of the counter-terrorism bureau, as well as the Chief of Staff of the Army,” security expert Sarmad Al-Bayati told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“There are agreements between Baghdad and Washington, particularly the Strategic Framework Agreement between Iraq and the US, which pertains to training, consultation, capability development, and maintenance, particularly regarding (F-16) aircraft,” he added.

Al-Bayati pointed out that “there are requests for certain weapons that could be of interest to Iraq and requested from the US, in addition to the importance of consultation and training matters.”

He emphasized that “there is a need to review many agreements signed between the two sides.”

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Iraq in March, where he met with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.

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Estimates of Hunger, Disease Claiming 990 Lives in Sudan’s Darfur

Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)
Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)
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Estimates of Hunger, Disease Claiming 990 Lives in Sudan’s Darfur

Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)
Sudanese displaced arrive in El Gedaref city in the east on Sunday, fleeing from Sennar state to the south (AFP)

Over 50,000 people fled by foot from intense fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Sudanese city of El Fashir, North Darfur. They walked more than 60 kilometers to Tawila town in scorching temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. Some died from hunger and thirst, as reported by local media.

Displaced individuals in Tawila and other Darfur towns endure dire conditions, with 991 deaths recorded between April 15 and May 15 due to famine and disease outbreaks, according to Adam Rijal, spokesperson for Darfur’s Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees.

“The displaced in Tawila are starving, with children crying from hunger,” Rijal told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The little milk they receive isn’t enough for their small stomachs,” he added, underscoring Tawila’s critical lack of basic essentials.

Eyewitnesses described dire conditions faced by refugees fleeing war on their long journey to Tawila, where scorching temperatures worsened their plight.

Asylum seekers in Tawila affirm that the displacement journeys are unsafe, with vulnerable refugees at risk of being robbed by armed gangs. Those reaching Tawila considered themselves lucky to have avoided such attacks.

Sudanese human rights activist Adam Idris told Asharq Al-Awsat that indiscriminate shelling in El Fashir claimed hundreds of lives, forcing many to flee to Tawila and areas controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement.

Idris noted that some displaced persons died en route due to hunger and thirst, urging humanitarian organizations to swiftly provide aid in the town.

In a related development, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported on Tuesday that over 402,000 Sudanese refugees are now registered in Egypt, with more expected in the coming months.

In a statement, UNHCR noted that over 38,000 Sudanese refugees arrived in Egypt in May alone. Libya and Uganda have recently joined the Regional Refugee Response Plan, along with the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

UNHCR emphasized that only 19% of the needed funds for refugee assistance have been received so far, insufficient to meet the urgent needs of displaced people.

In Libya, more than 20,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived since April, with many settling in the eastern regions.

Uganda, hosting the largest number of refugees in Africa, has received over 39,000 Sudanese refugees since the conflict began, including 27,000 this year. This number is nearly three times higher than anticipated.

After 14 months of conflict, thousands continue to flee Sudan due to violence, violations, death, disrupted services, and limited humanitarian aid access, with the threat of famine looming.