Darfur Governor Warns of Sudan War Getting Out Control

The governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minnawi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minnawi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Darfur Governor Warns of Sudan War Getting Out Control

The governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minnawi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minnawi (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minnawi, said the war between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was the “largest explosion” in the country’s history, warning of the possibility of the situation getting out of the control of the two sides.

During a press conference in Addis Ababa, Minnawi stressed that he maintained contact with both the Army and the RSF, pointing to his phone call with RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) on Tuesday.

The head of the Darfur Regional Government expressed fears about the future of the conflict, saying: “We do not know whether Sudan will remain one country, or whether it will be divided into states, emirates, or cantons.”

He continued: “We are all seeking to reach a single future for Sudan, because the conflict can slide in directions that may get out the control of the warring parties.”

Minnawi urged the civil political parties and figures with influence to unify ranks for the sake of the country’s unity and sovereignty.

He also called for an inclusive national dialogue to establish permanent solutions to the country’s problems.

Describing the situation in the Darfur region as “dire,” the governor said: “There is no state. The four regions are in the grip of the Rapid Support Forces, and the army is absent, which made the camps for the displaced safer than the cities.”

He added: “There are about four million displaced people, and the capital, El Fasher, has turned into a large displacement camp.”

Minnawi held the RSF primarily responsible for the violations committed during the war, but stressed that the army was also blamed for bombing with artillery and planes.

He confirmed that the authorities were avoiding a clash in Darfur, and calling on both sides to implement a ceasefire. But he warned: “If citizens are attacked, we will not remain neutral, and we hope such attacks will not occur.”



Israel Bombs Power Station and Two Ports Controlled by Houthis in Yemen

 Black smoke raises following airstrikes on Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
Black smoke raises following airstrikes on Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
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Israel Bombs Power Station and Two Ports Controlled by Houthis in Yemen

 Black smoke raises following airstrikes on Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
Black smoke raises following airstrikes on Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)

Israeli warplanes bombed a power station and two ports in Houthi-controlled Yemen on Friday in retaliation for Houthi drone and missile strikes against Israel, and pro-Houthi media said at least one person had been killed and nine wounded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Iran-backed Houthi militias were "paying and will continue to pay a heavy price for their aggression against us".

A series of airstrikes targeted the Red Sea port of Ras Issa and six others the major port of Hodeidah, said Al Masirah TV, the main news outlet run by the Houthis, while Harf Sufyan District in Amran province also came under air attack.

An employee at the Ras Issa port was killed and six others were injured, the outlet said.

Earlier, British security firm Ambrey said airstrikes on the Ras Issa port targeted oil storage facilities in the vicinity of shipping berths, though no merchant vessels were reported to have been damaged.

The supply of petroleum derivatives is stable, the Houthi government spokesperson Hashem Sharaf Eddine said after the attack.

Thirteen airstrikes also targeted the Hezyaz central power station in Yemen's capital Sanaa, Al Masirah TV reported. It said three citizens had been injured, including a worker at Hezyaz, and a number of homes had been damaged.

An Israeli military statement confirmed the targets, saying the power station served as a "central source of energy for the Houthi terrorist regime in its military activities". It added that the targets struck were examples of the "Houthis' exploitation of civilian infrastructure".

Within the past 48 hours, the Houthis have fired three drones at Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv and more drones and missiles at the US aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said.

The Houthis have targeted Israel, hundreds of kilometers to the north as well as international shipping in waters near Yemen since November 2023 in support of Palestinians at war with Israel in Gaza.

Israel has responded with airstrikes in Houthi-held areas of Yemen, as have British and US forces in the region.

Netanyahu said last month Israel was only at the beginning of its campaign against the Houthis.