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.”



Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
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Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)

Italy plans to send an ambassador back to Syria after a decade-long absence, the country’s foreign minister said, in a diplomatic move that could spark divisions among European Union allies.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking in front of relevant parliamentary committees Thursday, announced Rome’s intention to re-establish diplomatic ties with Syria to prevent Russia from monopolizing diplomatic efforts in the Middle Eastern country.

Moscow is considered a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has remained in power despite widespread Western isolation and civilian casualties since the start of Syria’s civil war in March 2011.

Peaceful protests against the Assad government — part of the so-called “Arab Spring” popular uprisings that spread across some of the Middle East — were met by a brutal crackdown, and the uprising quickly spiraled into a full-blown civil war.

The conflict was further complicated by the intervention of foreign forces on all sides and a rising militancy, first by al-Qaida-linked groups and then the ISIS group until its defeat on the battlefield in 2019.

The war, which has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million, is now largely frozen, despite ongoing low-level fighting.

The country is effectively carved up into areas controlled by the Damascus-based government of Assad, various opposition groups and Syrian Kurdish forces.

In the early days of the conflict, many Western and Arab countries cut off relations with Syria, including Italy, which has since managed Syria-related diplomacy through its embassy in Beirut.

However, since Assad has regained control over most of the territory, neighboring Arab countries have gradually restored relations, with the most symbolically significant move coming last year when Syria was re-admitted to the Arab League.

Tajani said Thursday the EU’s policy in Syria should be adapted to the “development of the situation,” adding that Italy has received support from Austria, Croatia, Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Cyprus and Slovakia.

However, the US and allied countries in Europe have largely continued to hold firm in their stance against Assad’s government, due to concerns over human rights violations.