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.



Two Killed in Israeli Strike North of Lebanon’s Capital

An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)
An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)
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Two Killed in Israeli Strike North of Lebanon’s Capital

An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)
An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)

At least two people were killed in an Israeli strike near the Christian-majority town of Jounieh, north of Beirut, Lebanon's health ministry said on Saturday, in the first attack on the area by Israeli forces.

The Israeli military was looking into the report of the strike in Jounieh, a spokesperson said. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group that is fighting Israeli troops on Lebanon's southern border and whose top leadership has suffered blows from targeted Israeli strikes.

The health ministry said the Israeli strike targeted a car.

Two witnesses told Reuters they heard a small blast and saw a Honda sports utility vehicle travelling on the main highway south in the direction of Beirut begin to lose control.

The car stopped about 100 meters down the highway and a man and a woman ran out of the vehicle and into a grassy area on the side of the highway before another blast, the witnesses said.

One witness saw the charred remains of a person in the grassy area.