Civilian Groups Demand Int’l Intervention to Stop Violations in Sudan

Smoke billows from fighting in Khartoum, Sudan. (AFP file)
Smoke billows from fighting in Khartoum, Sudan. (AFP file)
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Civilian Groups Demand Int’l Intervention to Stop Violations in Sudan

Smoke billows from fighting in Khartoum, Sudan. (AFP file)
Smoke billows from fighting in Khartoum, Sudan. (AFP file)

The Sudanese Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Tagadum) condemned on Tuesday the army’s series of strikes on a number of regions in the country that left nearly 500 people dead.

The military carried out raids on the central city of al-Hasaheisa in the al-Jazirah state, Hamra al-Sheikh in North Kordofan, and Kutum and Mellit in North Darfur. Meanwhile, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fired artillery at the army-held region of al-Hatana in Omdurman.

The Emergency Lawyers group said around 100 people, including women and children, were killed in the army raids on al-Hasaheisa.

It strongly condemned the strikes on al-Jazirah, Sennar, White Nile, West and North Darfur and North Kordofan, deeming the continued attacks a war crime and flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

It called on the international community to intervene immediately to stop the violations, save civilian lives and pressure the army to stop targeting markets and other civilian areas.

The army says it is targeting RSF locations. The RSF, meanwhile, says it is using artillery to attack army units. However, witnesses and videos shot by the people, contradict the claims, with the recordings showing the corpse of women, children and the elderly in areas that are being targeted by the warring parties.

The National Umma Party, one of Sudan’s largest parties, slammed in a statement on Tuesday the “horrific” violations in the war, demanding the army and RSF to fulfill their past commitments – a reference to the Jeddah Humanitarian Declaration signed in May 2023 through Saudi and American mediation.

Tagadum regretted that the warring parties continue to target civilians, calling on them to “seriously and sincerely” return to negotiations to end the war and suffering of the people.



Turkish Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing in New York after Pilot Dies

Turkish Airlines aircraft are pictured on the tarmac of Istanbul Grand Airport in Istanbul, Türkiye May 23, 2023. Reuters
Turkish Airlines aircraft are pictured on the tarmac of Istanbul Grand Airport in Istanbul, Türkiye May 23, 2023. Reuters
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Turkish Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing in New York after Pilot Dies

Turkish Airlines aircraft are pictured on the tarmac of Istanbul Grand Airport in Istanbul, Türkiye May 23, 2023. Reuters
Turkish Airlines aircraft are pictured on the tarmac of Istanbul Grand Airport in Istanbul, Türkiye May 23, 2023. Reuters

A Turkish Airlines jetliner headed from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday after the pilot died on board, an airline spokesperson said.

Pilot İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, lost consciousness at some point after Flight TK204 took off from Seattle Tuesday night, Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Üstün said in a statement, The AP reported.

Crew members decided to make an emergency landing and worked to revive the pilot, Üstün said, but he died before the plane landed.

Data from the tracking site FlightAware shows that the Airbus A350 landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport just before 6 a.m.

Arrangements were being made for passengers to reach their destination from New York, the airline spokesperson said.

Pehlivan had worked at Turkish Airlines since 2007, Üstün said. A routine health check in March showed no health problems that would have prevented him from working, he said.

“As Turkish Airlines, we deeply feel the loss of our captain and extend our sincerest condolences to his bereaved family, colleagues, and all his loved ones,” Üstün said.