Kenyan President, Sudan’s RSF Leader Agree to Support Jeddah Platform

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)
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Kenyan President, Sudan’s RSF Leader Agree to Support Jeddah Platform

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)

Kenyan President William Ruto has agreed with the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), to support the Jeddah peace process, which is facilitated by Saudi Arabia and the United States, with the participation of the African Union and the Intergovernmental Development Organization (IGAD), with the aim to reach a solution to the conflict in Sudan.

In a statement on X, Hemedti said Friday that he discussed with Ruto during a phone conversation the situation in Sudan.

The two sides stressed the importance of the role played by IGAD, the joint and continuous coordination, and the need to deploy more efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.

The RSF commander thanked Ruto for his continued support for the Sudanese people and for the stability of Sudan and the region.

Kenya chairs the IGAD quartet that is concerned with resolving the crisis in Sudan. The quartet also includes South Sudan, Uganda and Djibouti, the country hosting the organization’s headquarters.

Two weeks ago, the chairman of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Army Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, made a visit to Kenya, which eased tension and estrangement between the two countries, following the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ accusations of the Kenyan leadership of bias towards the RSF and providing safe havens for its leadership.

Al-Burhan and Ruto agreed on the progress achieved in the Jeddah platform, stressing the need to accelerate the negotiating process to reach a ceasefire and end the hostilities. The two sides also approved the holding of an emergency summit of IGAD leaders, as part of efforts to achieve a ceasefire, and to establish a framework for a comprehensive Sudanese dialogue.



At Least 8 People are Killed When Passenger Train Slams into Minibus in Egypt

Egyptians look at the crash of two trains that collided near the Khorshid station in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt August 11, 2017. REUTERS/Osama Nageb
Egyptians look at the crash of two trains that collided near the Khorshid station in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt August 11, 2017. REUTERS/Osama Nageb
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At Least 8 People are Killed When Passenger Train Slams into Minibus in Egypt

Egyptians look at the crash of two trains that collided near the Khorshid station in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt August 11, 2017. REUTERS/Osama Nageb
Egyptians look at the crash of two trains that collided near the Khorshid station in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt August 11, 2017. REUTERS/Osama Nageb

A train slammed into a minibus that was crossing the tracks in an unauthorized location in norther Egypt on Thursday, killing at least eight people and leaving 12 injured, the government said.

The deadly crash took place in the Suez Canal province of Ismailia, the health ministry said. More than a dozen ambulances were sent to the scene, Reuters reported.

The Egyptian railway authority said the passenger train was on its regular route when the collision occurred. The place where the minibus was crossing the railway tracks is not designated for crossing.

Local Egyptian news outlets said the victims, who included children, were all take to East Qantara Central Hospital. One child was reported to be in critical condition.

Train derailments and crashes are common in Egypt, where an aging railway system has also been plagued by mismanagement. Last October, a locomotive crashed into the tail of a Cairo-bound passenger train in southern Egypt, killing at least one person. In September, two passenger trains collided in a Nile Delta city, killing at least three people.

In recent years, the government has announced initiatives to improve its railways. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said in 2018 that some 250 billion Egyptian pounds, or $8.13 billion, would be needed to properly overhaul the neglected rail network.