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Uncertainty Surrounds Fate of Burhan-Hemedti Meeting in Kampala

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the Sudanese army, and Rapid Support Forces chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (File Photo)
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the Sudanese army, and Rapid Support Forces chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (File Photo)
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Uncertainty Surrounds Fate of Burhan-Hemedti Meeting in Kampala

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the Sudanese army, and Rapid Support Forces chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (File Photo)
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the Sudanese army, and Rapid Support Forces chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (File Photo)

Sudanese politicians expect an imminent meeting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Kampala in response to an African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council decision and an invitation from a committee led by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and African regional leaders.

The meeting aims to unite General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the army and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti,” of the RSF.

There’s been silence from army leaders despite the announcement over a week ago, suggesting a division within the army between those wanting to end the war and those preferring its continuation, reportedly with support from militant Islamist factions.

The AU Peace and Security Council decision on June 21 established a committee chaired by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to facilitate direct communication between Sudanese army leaders and the RSF.

Despite over a week passing since the AU’s decision, the Sudanese army and interim government have not responded, maintaining their usual silence in such situations.

Political analyst and lawyer Hatem Elias told Asharq Al-Awsat that “there appears to be a divergence between political and military decisions within the army, influenced significantly by Islamist factions.”

“Accepting Museveni’s invitation could potentially lead to a confrontation with these factions,” warned Elias.

Elias suggested that the silence might be due to “concerns within the army leadership about a risky clash with Islamist elements.”

Moreover, the army rejects AU initiatives, citing Sudan’s suspended membership.

Museveni’s initiative isn't the first African attempt to reconcile Sudan’s army and the RSF.

On December 11, 2023, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) announced a planned meeting between Burhan and Hemedti, which was later postponed.

The army, on December 27 of that year, stated Djibouti, IGAD’s chair, notified them of the delay just a day before the meeting. Since then, the army has accused the RSF leader of stalling and ignoring calls to halt Sudan’s destruction.

The army rejects similar arrangements and insists on continuing fighting until the RSF is disbanded. Meanwhile, the RSF leader advocates for peace talks and readiness to engage in discussions to end hostilities.

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Arab World

Libya's NOC Reports Drone Attack Attempt at Fuel Depot

No casualties ‌were reported and the incident ‌did not impact supply operations. (EPA file)
No casualties ‌were reported and the incident ‌did not impact supply operations. (EPA file)
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Libya's NOC Reports Drone Attack Attempt at Fuel Depot

No casualties ‌were reported and the incident ‌did not impact supply operations. (EPA file)
No casualties ‌were reported and the incident ‌did not impact supply operations. (EPA file)

A remote-controlled drone attack targeted a fuel depot in Libya's capital Tripoli on Thursday, causing minor damage, the state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) said in a statement.

The NOC said that technical teams had begun drawing fuel from the tanks to reduce the fuel level as a ‌precaution.

There was ‌no immediate claim of ‌responsibility ⁠and authorities did not ⁠say who they believed was behind the attack.

The attack caused minor damage to some pipelines and tanks no. 213 and 220 due to falling shrapnel, said Ahmed Al-Masallati, ⁠spokesperson for Brega Petroleum ‌Marketing, which is ‌in charge of Libya's fuel supplies.

No casualties ‌were reported and the incident ‌did not impact supply operations.

Libyan oil facilities have been subject to repeated attacks and closures for various political and technical ‌reasons since the 2011 uprising that toppled Maammar al-Gaddafi and ⁠set ⁠off a prolonged period of chaos.

In August, fuel storage tanks at the nearby Zawiya oil complex, in western Tripoli, were targeted by several explosive-laden drone strikes that hit one of the tanks and completely burned it.

Attempts to target oil facilities represent "a direct threat to the supply system," the NOC said in the statement.

Arab World

Houthis Escalate Attacks Across Taiz, Yemen’s Western Coast

The navigation bridge of a sunken vessel is all that is seen at the surface of the water in the Port of Mokha the day after an attack by the Houthis on the city Mokha, held by Yemen's legitimate government on August 10, 2026. (AFP)
The navigation bridge of a sunken vessel is all that is seen at the surface of the water in the Port of Mokha the day after an attack by the Houthis on the city Mokha, held by Yemen's legitimate government on August 10, 2026. (AFP)
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Houthis Escalate Attacks Across Taiz, Yemen’s Western Coast

The navigation bridge of a sunken vessel is all that is seen at the surface of the water in the Port of Mokha the day after an attack by the Houthis on the city Mokha, held by Yemen's legitimate government on August 10, 2026. (AFP)
The navigation bridge of a sunken vessel is all that is seen at the surface of the water in the Port of Mokha the day after an attack by the Houthis on the city Mokha, held by Yemen's legitimate government on August 10, 2026. (AFP)

The Iran-backed Houthi group stepped up military operations on several fronts west of Yemen’s Taiz governorate and along the Red Sea coast on Thursday.

Houthis fired more than 12 ballistic missiles at rural areas in Taiz and Hodeidah governorates as fierce clashes erupted with government forces and the National Resistance in Maqbanah, al-Kadha, al-Tuwair and Ghabari.

Military sources said the fighting began in the early hours of Thursday when the Houthis launched a broad assault on government and National Resistance positions across several sectors. The attack developed into direct clashes and artillery exchanges that lasted for hours.

The group fired hundreds of artillery and mortar rounds during the assault and deployed drones in combat operations, the sources said. The fighting spread to hills overlooking the al-Aqma area in Mawza district, where brigades affiliated with the National Resistance are stationed.

The Houthis seized several positions during the opening hours of the attack before government forces, fighters from Taiz and the National Resistance launched a counterattack and recaptured a number of them, according to military sources.

The sources said the ballistic missiles had no effect on government forces’ battlefield operations. Most of the Houthi missile strikes targeted areas around vital facilities and civilian and military supply routes, causing panic among residents.

Government forces suffered deaths and injuries, while the Houthis also sustained casualties, the sources said, without providing figures for either side. Four Houthi fighters were reportedly captured.

Reports from the Joint Operations Room said air-defense systems and military formations on the Red Sea coast were “maintaining a high level of vigilance in confronting these repeated missile threats, which have become the group’s most prominent means of trying to offset its successive battlefield losses.”

The reports said the attacks were also intended to send a message linked to regional developments around the Red Sea shipping corridor and strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The missile attacks coincided with an attempted infiltration and ground assault by Houthi fighters against government positions in al-Kadha, west of Taiz.

Three drones downed

Government forces said they shot down three Houthi drones flying over subdistricts in Jabal Habashi district as fighting continued on fronts west of Taiz.

Military sources said the drones were intercepted as the group continued using unmanned aircraft to attack government and National Resistance positions. Clashes persisted in several sectors as forces deployed reinforcements to combat positions.

The ground escalation coincided with a new wave of Houthi missile strikes on the Red Sea coast. The group fired more than 12 ballistic missiles toward several areas east and north of the city of Mokha, as well as areas in Hodeidah’s Khokha district.

Local sources said the missiles were launched from Houthi-held positions in Ibb governorate and from al-Hawban and Sharab, east and north of Taiz. One missile caused a fire on the northern outskirts of Mokha.

The National Resistance’s military media office said the Houthis fired eight ballistic missiles toward rural areas around Mokha, while a ninth landed south of Khokha district. Local sources said three more missiles were launched shortly afterward.

Red Sea coast targeted

The missile strikes coincided with fighting on the Maqbanah and al-Kadha fronts west of Taiz, while air defenses operated by the “Taiz Military Axis” responded to drones launched by the group during the assault.

The escalation came hours after the Houthis targeted residential areas, the vicinity of camps for displaced people and front-line positions in Taiz, where fighting has intensified steadily since August.

Government forces and the National Resistance have continued to repel Houthi attacks across western Taiz and the Red Sea coast as the group persists in using ballistic missiles, drones and artillery.

The simultaneous broad ground assault and missile strikes point to an expansion of the Houthi escalation in the region, which has seen repeated attacks on military positions and areas near residential communities and civilian facilities.

Government forces in Marib and al-Dhale governorates carried out strikes on Wednesday targeting Houthi positions, gatherings and vehicles, and released footage of the operations.

Arab World

Syria Says Begun Destroying Assad-Era Chemical Weapon Materials

Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Ibrahim Olabi addresses the Security Council during the meeting on the situation in the Middle East, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, February 18, 2026. (Reuters)
Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Ibrahim Olabi addresses the Security Council during the meeting on the situation in the Middle East, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, February 18, 2026. (Reuters)
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Syria Says Begun Destroying Assad-Era Chemical Weapon Materials

Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Ibrahim Olabi addresses the Security Council during the meeting on the situation in the Middle East, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, February 18, 2026. (Reuters)
Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Ibrahim Olabi addresses the Security Council during the meeting on the situation in the Middle East, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, February 18, 2026. (Reuters)

Syria has begun the process of destroying chemical weapon materials identified by an international watchdog, the country's UN envoy said Thursday, signaling a major step forward since the 2024 ouster of autocratic leader Bashar al-Assad.

"This is the very first destruction process since we have been liberated from the previous regime," Ibrahim Olabi told the Security Council. "It's also the first of its kind to destroy chemical materials on Syrian territory for over a decade."

In 2021, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) took the unprecedented step of stripping Syria of its voting rights after finding its air force had used nerve agent sarin and chlorine gas on its own people.

But since Assad's overthrow, the new authorities in Damascus have vowed to cooperate with the OPCW to destroy the chemical weapons the former president was repeatedly accused of using during Syria's 13-year civil war.

"We aim at protecting the Syrian people so that such weapons will not fall into the wrong hands," Olabi said Thursday.

He added that his country was "also protecting the world and the region through such work. Every site that is secured, every ammunition that is identified, does not merely remove a danger to Syria, but the entire world."