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Sudan Fire Kills Nine

Smoke rises in Omdurman, near Halfaya Bridge, during clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the army as seen from Khartoum North, Sudan April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
Smoke rises in Omdurman, near Halfaya Bridge, during clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the army as seen from Khartoum North, Sudan April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
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Sudan Fire Kills Nine

Smoke rises in Omdurman, near Halfaya Bridge, during clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the army as seen from Khartoum North, Sudan April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
Smoke rises in Omdurman, near Halfaya Bridge, during clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the army as seen from Khartoum North, Sudan April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Fire tore through an apartment block in Port Sudan killing nine people in the city which the Sudanese army has made its base during fighting with rival paramilitaries, police said Saturday.

Emergency services rescued several people who had been trapped on the ground floor of the building when an electrical short circuit triggered the blaze, AFP reported.

At least four people remain in hospital but are in stable condition, the police said in a statement, without saying when the blaze took place.

Sudan has been gripped by war since April 2023.

The conflict between the regular army under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has left tens of thousands dead and forced more than 10 million from their homes, according to the United Nations.

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EU Envoy to Middle East: Our Top Priority is Preventing a Regional War

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike on the village of Khiam in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel (AFP)
Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike on the village of Khiam in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel (AFP)
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EU Envoy to Middle East: Our Top Priority is Preventing a Regional War

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike on the village of Khiam in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel (AFP)
Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike on the village of Khiam in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel (AFP)

The war in the Gaza Strip is a serious obstacle to the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians but the European Union's Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process, Sven Koopmans, has expressed determination to push forward with efforts to achieve a two-state solution, despite opposition from the Israeli government.
In an interview with AFP, Koopmans emphasized that the current priority is to seek an end to the suffering in Gaza, while working to prevent the outbreak of a regional war that would particularly involve Lebanon, and to restart the peace process.
The secretive diplomat said his work was guided by the EU's 1980 declaration recognizing the “right to existence and to security” for Israel and “the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” including “self-determination.”
But Koopmans acknowledged divisions within the 27 existing members on the Middle East strife.
He said there is currently a need to find consensus among governments with different attitudes and interests on international relations.
This is evidenced by the large gap between the positions of EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell and countries such as Hungary or Czech Republic that both sought to block EU sanctions against Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Named as special representative for the peace process in 2021, Koopmans said the European Union was one of the most energetic institutions pushing for a two-state solution.
He said Brussels is one of the capitals that is witnessing behind the scenes activity aimed at getting out of the crisis in Gaza, and that all EU members agree on the need to establish a Palestinian state.
Koopmans then highlighted that the 27 countries were Israel's largest trading partner and the top aid donor to the Palestinians.
“We are the biggest political neighbor to both of them. Of course, we are not the biggest security provider, let's be honest. But we are a big and relevant actor,” the Dutch diplomat said.
He noted that Spain, Slovenia and Ireland joined non-EU member Norway in recognizing a Palestinian state this year, adding that the move could “contribute” to a solution to the conflict.