Several Killed during Shelling on Sudan Hospital

Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Terrified Sudanese are fleeing their homes in the capital Khartoum, witnesses say, after an internationally brokered cease-fire failed and rival forces battled in the capital for a fifth day. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)
Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Terrified Sudanese are fleeing their homes in the capital Khartoum, witnesses say, after an internationally brokered cease-fire failed and rival forces battled in the capital for a fifth day. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)
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Several Killed during Shelling on Sudan Hospital

Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Terrified Sudanese are fleeing their homes in the capital Khartoum, witnesses say, after an internationally brokered cease-fire failed and rival forces battled in the capital for a fifth day. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)
Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Terrified Sudanese are fleeing their homes in the capital Khartoum, witnesses say, after an internationally brokered cease-fire failed and rival forces battled in the capital for a fifth day. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)

At least three civilians were killed on Monday in Sudan when shells struck a key hospital in the capital, a medical source said, as fighting between rival generals continued unabated.

"Shells fell on the Al-Nau hospital," in Omdurman, the twin city of Sudan's capital Khartoum, a medical source told AFP by telephone.

Omdurman has been the site of fierce battles between the regular army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo who have been at war since April.

Rights groups have accused both sides of targeting health facilities since the conflict began on April 15.

In August, medical aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned that Al-Nau hospital "is one of the last health facilities open in Omdurman".

"It's also the only facility with a trauma emergency room or surgical capacity in north Omdurman, so all wounded patients in the city are brought there," MSF said, while other medics have called the hospital "a beacon of hope".

According to the United Nations, more than 70 percent of the country's hospitals are out of service.

Though most of the fighting was previously contained to the capital and the western region of Darfur, it has also spread to areas south of Khartoum according to witnesses.

In Jabal Awliya town, 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of the capital, medics "have had to halt all work at the hospital since last night due to heavy artillery shelling," a doctor told AFP.

"Dozens of wounded" remained in the hospital, waiting for urgent treatment, he added.

More than 9,000 people have been killed in the Sudan conflict so far, according to a conservative estimate by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project.

But aid groups and medics have repeatedly warned the real toll exceeds recorded figures, with many of those wounded and killed never reaching hospitals or morgues.

Monday's shelling comes a day after fighting resumed in El Obeid, the state capital of North Kordofan 350 kilometres south of Khartoum.

One child was killed and at least 16 injured in the fighting while some homes were destroyed, a committee of pro-democracy lawyers that have worked to document atrocities said.

The war has caused an estimated 5.5 million people to flee, both within Sudan and across borders, according to the United Nations.



Iraqi Judiciary Faces Challenge After Trump’s Win, Arrest Warrant Issued

Trump at an election rally (AFP)
Trump at an election rally (AFP)
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Iraqi Judiciary Faces Challenge After Trump’s Win, Arrest Warrant Issued

Trump at an election rally (AFP)
Trump at an election rally (AFP)

Iraqi President Dr. Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani congratulated Donald Trump on his win in the US presidential election.

At the same time, Iraq’s parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee began discussing how to handle Trump, following an arrest warrant issued by the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council over his role in the deaths of Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Committee member Mokhtar al-Moussawi said in a statement that, under Iraqi law, “Trump is considered a criminal,” but Iraq will engage with him normally due to national interests.

He stressed that Trump’s victory would not affect relations between Baghdad and Washington.

Al-Moussawi, a member of the Shiite Coordination Framework, explained to the press that the US operates as an institutional country and foreign policy doesn’t change much with different presidents.

He also noted that Trump did not recognize or respect the Iraqi government, pointing out that his previous visit to Iraq was limited to meeting US troops at the Al-Asad airbase. Still, Iraq will deal with Trump normally.

The parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee member concluded by saying, “If Trump visits Iraq, it will be hard to enforce the arrest warrant. Iraq’s national interests take priority, preventing the warrant from being carried out against him.”

Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council Chief, Faik Zidan, announced an arrest warrant for Trump over his role in the killings of Soleimani and al-Muhandis on January 7, 2021.

An official statement confirmed the warrant was based on Article 406 of Iraq’s Penal Code and that investigations would continue to identify other individuals involved, both Iraqi and foreign.

Iraqi legal expert Ali al-Tamimi explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that the judiciary acted based on a complaint from the plaintiff, meaning it is legally required to take action against anyone, whether inside or outside Iraq.

He stated that since the crime occurred in Iraq and targeted Iraqi figures, the case falls under Iraqi jurisdiction.

Al-Tamimi confirmed that the arrest warrant for Trump was issued under Article 406 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which covers premeditated murder. As Trump is considered a partner in the operation, he said the legal procedure was correct.

In response to a question about enforcing the arrest warrant, al-Tamimi said it could be done through Interpol by submitting a request via Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, though this would be difficult in practice.

Another option would be for Iraq to join the 1948 Rome Statute, which allows prosecution for crimes like the assassination ordered by Trump. However, Iraq would need to first join the agreement.

Al-Tamimi also noted that, as a head of state, Trump has immunity under the Vienna Convention.