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US Warns Sudan Risks Becoming ‘Terrorist Haven’

Smoke rising due to clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, Sudan (Archive - AFP)
Smoke rising due to clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, Sudan (Archive - AFP)
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US Warns Sudan Risks Becoming ‘Terrorist Haven’

Smoke rising due to clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, Sudan (Archive - AFP)
Smoke rising due to clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, Sudan (Archive - AFP)

US intelligence reports are raising serious alarms about Sudan, warning that the country could become a safe haven for terrorists and international criminals.

There's also concern that the conflict between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) might spill over into neighboring countries.

This warning comes from the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment by US intelligence, highlighting the urgent situation in Sudan, where people are already facing the threat of starvation.

The “Sudan Monitor” website, citing sources within the US National Intelligence, echoed these concerns, emphasizing the risk of Sudan becoming an “ideal environment” for terrorists and criminals, and the potential for the conflict to spread beyond its borders.

The report warns of the fighting in Sudan spreading beyond its borders, with outsiders joining the conflict and civilians facing the threat of death and displacement. It suggests that the ongoing conflict in Sudan could create a favorable environment for terrorist groups to operate once again.

While Sudan faces these risks, the warring parties continue to fight using military force, each accusing the other of terrorism.

Although they both accuse each other of being terrorists, the US hasn’t officially labeled either group as such, using the term “terrorist” for groups that have targeted US interests before, like Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

The report also predicts that ISIS and Al-Qaeda will expand further in Africa, with increasing ISIS activity in western Sudan.

It states that ISIS destabilizes the Sahel and West Africa, exploiting government conflicts and clashes with marginalized groups for their benefit, especially in Nigeria and the Sahel region.

It is worth noting that a shocking video surfaced on Sudanese social media in mid-February, showing soldiers wearing Sudanese army uniforms holding severed human heads, allegedly belonging to Sudanese citizens.

This disturbing display reminded many of the brutal tactics used by terrorist groups.

The Sudanese military promised to investigate, but no official report has been released yet, despite calls from the victims’ families.

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Arab World

Iraq: Security Reshuffle Reaches Green Zone Command

A view of Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone (Reuters) 
A view of Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone (Reuters) 
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Iraq: Security Reshuffle Reaches Green Zone Command

A view of Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone (Reuters) 
A view of Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone (Reuters) 

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has extended a series of changes to senior security and military posts, most recently appointing a new commander for the force responsible for protecting Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone.

The reshuffle comes as security and political preparations accelerate ahead of the scheduled end of the international coalition’s mission in Iraq in late September, amid mounting tensions over the weapons held by armed factions.

Iraqi security sources said Zaidi appointed Special Forces Maj. Gen. Osama Abd Tarish commander of the Special Division responsible for protecting the Green Zone. It houses key state institutions, including Baghdad Palace, the president’s official residence; the Government Palace, the prime minister’s headquarters; parliament; and the headquarters of the National Intelligence Service and National Security Service.

The district also houses offices affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, as well as the US, British and Saudi embassies and the UN mission.

Informed sources described the move as completing what amounts to a “military cordon” around vital sites in Baghdad amid concerns that tensions could escalate with armed factions refusing to disarm after the expiration of a government deadline.

Political disagreements have meanwhile prevented the appointment of permanent defense and interior ministers. Zaidi has placed both ministries under his direct authority through the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, headed by Interior Minister Gen. Abdul Amir al-Shammari.

Zaidi has made several other senior security changes in recent months, replacing Counter Terrorism Service chief Gen. Karim al-Tamimi with Lt. Gen. Zaid Houshi and Federal Police commander Maj. Gen. Saad al-Halfi with Lt. Gen. Mohammed Qasim al-Fahd.

Zaidi also referred Lieutenant General Maher Najm, the Interior Ministry’s Intelligence Affairs Undersecretary, to retirement and appointed Lieutenant General Falah Shaghati to the post. Earlier changes included the appointment of Qasim al-Aboudi as National Security Adviser, replacing Qasim al-Araji.

Alongside the security reshuffle, Zaidi has asked parliament’s Security and Defense Committee to draft legislation restricting weapons to state forces.

Informed sources said the move reflects an effort to address the armed factions through legislation as well as security measures, while groups including Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba continue to reject disarmament.

The factions are seeking support from political forces, particularly Shiite groups close to Iran, led by the Badr Organization, the sources said. Their efforts include highlighting Türkiye’s military presence in northern Iraq, which they describe as an “occupation” comparable to the US presence, and opposing Iraq’s growing engagement with Arab states.

The government regards bringing weapons under state control as part of strengthening official institutions, while factions opposed to disarmament argue that their security and ideological roles justify retaining their arms.

The dispute poses a key test for Zaidi’s government as Iraq prepares for a new security phase with the international coalition’s mission scheduled to end in late September.

 

 

 

Arab World

Syrian Detainees Held in Iraq Return to Spotlight After Zaidan’s Damascus Visit

Syrian security forces at the entrance to al-Hol camp before its evacuation. (EPA file photo)
Syrian security forces at the entrance to al-Hol camp before its evacuation. (EPA file photo)
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Syrian Detainees Held in Iraq Return to Spotlight After Zaidan’s Damascus Visit

Syrian security forces at the entrance to al-Hol camp before its evacuation. (EPA file photo)
Syrian security forces at the entrance to al-Hol camp before its evacuation. (EPA file photo)

The fate of Syrian detainees transferred to Iraq from prisons formerly run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has returned to the spotlight following a visit by Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council President Judge Faiq Zaidan to Damascus on Thursday, where talks with Syrian officials, including President Ahmed al-Sharaa, focused on their cases.

Relatives of some detainees accused of belonging to ISIS insist they had no ties to the group and were arrested by the SDF over politically motivated allegations, including opposition to ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

They renewed calls for their return to Syria, a review of the charges against them and the release of those whose guilt cannot be established.

Ibrahim Abbas, from the al-Dhahiriya village east of Qamishli in the Hasakeh province, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the SDF arrested his nephews, Abdul-Azim Ahmed and Alaa al-Din Hassan al-Abbas, in 2017 because of their opposition to Assad.

Abbas, a member of the Arab Zuweid tribe, maintained that neither of the men had any connection to ISIS.

Relatives had been allowed to visit them regularly at al-Malikiyah prison before they were abruptly transferred to Qamishli prison, he revealed.

When the international coalition requested lists of ISIS prisoners for transfer to Iraq, the SDF included both men.

“They were 20 years old when they were arrested and are now nearly 30,” Abbas said, calling for their return to Syria and fresh investigations.

Those proven to have belonged to ISIS should be prosecuted, he added, while those against whom no evidence is found should be released.

In mid-February, Iraq’s Justice Ministry published the nationalities of ISIS prisoners transferred from detention facilities in northern Syria formerly run by the SDF to Iraq in a US Central Command-led operation. The number of Syrians transferred totaled 3,543.

Syrian activist Suheb al-Yaarobi said coordination between Damascus and Baghdad over the detainees’ return had been advancing before it was disrupted by tensions stemming from the US-Israel war on Iran.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that some detainees had no connection to ISIS and had been imprisoned by the SDF on “malicious” accusations before being classified as members of the group and transferred to Iraq.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa receives Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council President Judge Faiq Zaidan in Damascus last week. (SANA)

Both Baghdad and Damascus want the prisoners returned to Syria, Yaarobi said, but a key obstacle is the lack of detention facilities there.

Judge Laith Jabr, head of Iraq’s Judicial Supervision Authority, said Zaidan’s talks in Damascus focused on the Syrian detainees and their legal status. Iraqi authorities had conducted judicial investigations and provided them with all legal safeguards, he added.

The two sides agreed to establish joint judicial committees that will meet regularly to resolve issues related to the detainees’ trials.

Informed sources said Iraq and Syria were close to signing an agreement governing the transfer and prosecution of Syrian detainees held in Iraq.

International law expert Al-Moutassim al-Kilani told Asharq Al-Awsat that an accusation by the SDF or inclusion on a security list was not, in itself, sufficient legal proof of ISIS membership.

Rather than mass releases or collective trials, Kilani advocated a joint Syrian-Iraqi judicial mechanism to distinguish among detainees lacking credible evidence; those awaiting Iraqi judgments who could be transferred for prosecution in Syria; suspects accused of crimes committed in Iraq or against Iraqis; and prisoners serving final Iraqi sentences who could potentially complete their terms in Syria under a bilateral arrangement.

A fifth category should cover potential victims of arbitrary detention or torture, he suggested.

Detainees and their lawyers should be given access to case files and allowed to challenge the legality of detention and seek investigations into allegations of abuse. Convictions should not be based solely on coerced confessions or security reports that cannot be independently scrutinized, he stressed.

Arab World

Sudan’s Al-Burhan Backs Inclusive Dialogue but Pledges to Continue Fighting the RSF

Al-Burhan flanked by Yasser Al-Atta and Shams El Din Kabbashi during the Army Day celebration (Transitional Sovereignty Council Media)
Al-Burhan flanked by Yasser Al-Atta and Shams El Din Kabbashi during the Army Day celebration (Transitional Sovereignty Council Media)
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Sudan’s Al-Burhan Backs Inclusive Dialogue but Pledges to Continue Fighting the RSF

Al-Burhan flanked by Yasser Al-Atta and Shams El Din Kabbashi during the Army Day celebration (Transitional Sovereignty Council Media)
Al-Burhan flanked by Yasser Al-Atta and Shams El Din Kabbashi during the Army Day celebration (Transitional Sovereignty Council Media)

The Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Sudanese Army, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has approved an initiative to launch a dialogue that brings together all political and civil parties.

Despite his announcement, he pledged to continue fighting until the rebellion of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is defeated across the country.

Speaking on Friday on the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces, al-Burhan said: "In light of this troubled political reality, a group of Sudanese citizens took the initiative to present their vision to work as an independent national mechanism to prepare for an inclusive Sudanese dialogue, with the goal of reaching a comprehensive national consensus that puts the country on the path to stability."

He added that he agreed to provide the necessary guarantees for holding the all-party talks, facilitate the participation of the different groups, and protect their safety.

Al-Burhan stressed that the state was willing to provide the necessary logistical support as well as legal, political, and security guarantees, without being the organizing entity of the dialogue.

He noted that providing these guarantees does not mean the state will dictate the participants of the dialogue, draft its agenda, control its outcomes, or provide it with political sponsorship.

Al-Burhan clarified that "the action taken by the state regarding any of the participants in the dialogue is not considered a pardon, but rather means suspending the criminal proceedings previously taken by the state against them."

He stated that these measures represent a "temporary immunity" to create appropriate conditions that ensure the participation of the parties.

The Sudanese army commander also pledged legal protection for the opinions and positions expressed by participants, saying statements made during dialogue sessions would not be used as grounds for legal prosecution.

A-Burhan said the army was ready to engage with any serious peace initiative but would not accept what he called an “incomplete peace” that returned the RSF and its supporters to power.

He stated that the army would continue the “completion of the cleansing of the country from the terrorist militia.”

The path to peace must begin with RSF forces withdrawing from cities and gathering in designated areas, followed by the return of displaced people and refugees to their homes, he added.

The Democratic Bloc welcomed al-Burhan’s announcement to hold the all-party talks.

Its spokesperson, Mohamed Zakaria, said Saturday that al-Burhan’s emphasis on the importance of inter-Sudanese dialogue and the need to create a conducive environment for its launch represents a significant step towards addressing the crisis through a national political process.

He called on all sides to engage positively with any serious effort to launch a comprehensive national dialogue, provided that the process is managed entirely by Sudanese parties and that the regional and international role is limited to facilitation and support without interfering in determining participants or imposing an agenda or outcomes.