Sudanese Army, Rapid Support Forces Representatives Meet in Addis Ababa

Smoke rises above buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum (Reuters)
Smoke rises above buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum (Reuters)
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Sudanese Army, Rapid Support Forces Representatives Meet in Addis Ababa

Smoke rises above buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum (Reuters)
Smoke rises above buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum (Reuters)

The director of the Sudanese General Intelligence Service, Lt-Gen Ibrahim Mufaddal, and the legal advisor to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohammad al-Mokhtar, have met in Addis Ababa and discussed the ongoing war in Sudan, according to several sources.

The sources reported that the two officials held serious talks about the local developments and the impact of the ongoing war, which could threaten the security and safety of the entire country.

They stated that Mufaddal informed Mokhtar that the army leaders want to open channels of communication with the RSF, aiming to end the war that has been raging since mid-April.

Press sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Sudanese intelligence director visited the Ethiopian capital last week on a secret visit and then headed to Cairo, which coincided with the RSF advisor’s visit to Addis Ababa.

Asharq Al-Awsat interviewed Mokhtar over the phone, but he refused to provide any information about his recent trip to the Ethiopian capital and whether he had met the RSF official.

The sources said several military officials are displeased with the interference and influence of the former regime’s Islamist leaders in decisions within the army, especially their rejection to end the war.



Israeli Strike in Syria Kills 5 Soldiers

People fleeing from Lebanon arrive on the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon in Jdeidat Yabus in southwestern Syria on September 25, 2024. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP)
People fleeing from Lebanon arrive on the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon in Jdeidat Yabus in southwestern Syria on September 25, 2024. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP)
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Israeli Strike in Syria Kills 5 Soldiers

People fleeing from Lebanon arrive on the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon in Jdeidat Yabus in southwestern Syria on September 25, 2024. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP)
People fleeing from Lebanon arrive on the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon in Jdeidat Yabus in southwestern Syria on September 25, 2024. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP)

An overnight Israeli airstrike on a military site in the area of Kfar Yabous in Syria near the border with Lebanon killed five Syrian army soldiers and injured another, Syrian state news agency SANA reported Friday, citing an unnamed military official.

Israel's military did not immediately acknowledge the strike. Israel regularly targets military sites in Syria and facilities linked to Iran and the Lebanon’s Hezbollah but rarely acknowledges them.

Those strikes have become more frequent as Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israeli forces for the past 11 months against the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Tens of thousands of Lebanese and Syrians have fled across the border from Lebanon into Syria since the beginning of the week amid intense Israeli bombardment that Israel says is targeting Hezbollah fighters and weapons. The strikes have killed an estimated 700 people to date, including at least 150 women and children.