US Envoy Says Islamists Are ‘Problem for Us and Sudanese’

US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
20

US Envoy Says Islamists Are ‘Problem for Us and Sudanese’

US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello stressed on Friday that his country will continue to use sanctions to pressure the Sudanese warring parties to stop the fighting and reach a solution in the country.

He added that sanctions will not be limited to institutions, but will target individuals so that their work will be affected in various countries.

Speaking at a meeting with Sudanese people in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, he stressed that Islamists – supporters of the ousted regime – are a “major problem for us and the Sudanese.”

He stated that Washington is aware that some Islamists are members of the army and that others had come from abroad to Sudan to join the war.

Moreover, the envoy revealed that the American administration was in contact with all countries that support the war in Sudan. It is urging them to take a positive position towards the Sudanese people, not interfere their country’s internal affairs that is only prolonging the war.

The United Arab Emirates needs to be part of the ongoing discussions in Jeddah, Perriello went on to say.

The Sudanese army had accused the UAE of supporting its rival, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in the conflict. Abu Dhabi has denied the claim.

Perriello predicted that the next round of talks in Jeddah would be different due to new factors and to the UAE and Egypt joining the discussions.

The goal is for these countries to play a role in stopping the war, he explained.

The US has also made strong warnings to the RSF against military intervention in al-Fasher, he continued, adding that such a move would have dire consequences.

He underlined the importance of the Jeddah platform because it enjoys the agreement of all parties, including the European Union and African Union. Several countries want to see the end of the war.

On the proposed initiatives to end the conflict, Perriello said the outcomes of the Jeddah and Manama meetings will be examined so that a unified vision can be declared.

Furthermore, the envoy ruled out that the US may intervene militarily in Sudan, but he acknowledged that discussions are ongoing at the African Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for them to play a greater role in protecting civilians in the conflict.

The US and regional countries support these steps, he added, while warning that the spillover of the war into the region will have severe consequences.

The countries are already being affected by the conflict, he noted.



Continued Israeli Incursions in South Lebanon: A Bid to Create New Realities on the Ground

Smoke rises due to Israeli raids on South Lebanon (Reuters) 
Smoke rises due to Israeli raids on South Lebanon (Reuters) 
TT
20

Continued Israeli Incursions in South Lebanon: A Bid to Create New Realities on the Ground

Smoke rises due to Israeli raids on South Lebanon (Reuters) 
Smoke rises due to Israeli raids on South Lebanon (Reuters) 

South Lebanon is witnessing an escalating series of military operations, marked by repeated Israeli ground incursions and extensive bulldozing along the border.

The latest incidents have unfolded in the Marjayoun district and around the Wadi Hunin area, where Israeli military vehicles advanced more than 800 meters into Lebanese territory. According to analysts, these moves signal an effort to entrench a security presence that reflects “an advanced strategy to impose a new status quo along the frontier.”

On Friday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli army bulldozers, protected by tanks stationed nearby, crossed the boundary at Wadi Hunin and moved towards a landfill south of the town of Adaisseh. The forces sealed off a road and erected earthen barriers, prompting heightened alert from the Lebanese side.

Separately, an Israeli patrol breached the withdrawal line in the outskirts of Kfar Shouba - penetrating 400 meters into Lebanese territory - and fired shots at shepherds without causing injuries.

The incursions did not stop there. Residents of Blida also reported a fresh advance of over 800 meters. Meanwhile, Israeli troops detonated a civilian structure in the Ghassouna area east of Adaisseh, using incendiary and stun grenades that sowed panic among local families.

In parallel, Israeli aerial attacks have intensified. On Friday, an Israeli drone struck a car traveling on the Nmeiriyeh–Sharqiyyeh road in Nabatieh district, killing one person and injuring five others, Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed. The attack underscores the widening scope of targets, reaching deeper into southern Lebanon and extending beyond military sites to include civilian vehicles.

Another drone dropped a bomb on a small transport truck in the border town of Kfar Kila, causing material damage but no casualties. Such incidents have become a recurring pattern in the ongoing escalation.

Adding to the strain on civilians, an entire house in Kfar Kila was blown up after being rigged with explosives. In Meiss El Jabal, Israeli forces destroyed a newly renovated tile factory last week, as part of what Israeli spokesmen described as “special operations” targeting weapons depots and infrastructure allegedly tied to Hezbollah in locations including Labouneh and Jabal Balat.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated on Wednesday that the operations were based on intelligence gathering and surveillance of “Hezbollah’s combat means and terrorist infrastructure.” He added that special units were working to dismantle these networks to prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing its positions along the border. Adraee also released nighttime video footage showing Israeli infantry operating deep inside southern Lebanon.

A Systematic Effort to Empty the Border

Military analyst Brigadier General Naji Malaeb described these incursions as “part of a systematic plan to reshape the situation on the border.” He told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israeli ground advances typically coincide with major diplomatic developments - whether a US envoy arriving in Beirut or Israeli delegations traveling to Washington.

“Every time there is a significant diplomatic event, we see coordinated maneuvers - airstrikes, artillery shelling, or limited ground incursions targeting civilian or logistical sites,” Malaeb noted.

He argued that Israel’s consistent pattern of targeting rebuilt homes and small businesses reveals a clear message: preventing displaced residents from returning. “Whenever villagers attempt to repair their homes or revive their livelihoods, the response is immediate,” he said, citing a recent case in Aitaroun where Israeli troops demolished a factory that had been reconstructed inside a residence.

“This is no longer just a violation of Lebanese sovereignty or UN Resolution 1701,” Malaeb concluded. “It has evolved into a deliberate strategy to depopulate the border strip and impose new facts on the ground, creating, in effect, a buffer zone through indirect means.”