RSF Forms Parallel Civilian Govt in Khartoum

 Smoke billows in southern Khartoum on June 12, 2023 during fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries. (AFP)
Smoke billows in southern Khartoum on June 12, 2023 during fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries. (AFP)
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RSF Forms Parallel Civilian Govt in Khartoum

 Smoke billows in southern Khartoum on June 12, 2023 during fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries. (AFP)
Smoke billows in southern Khartoum on June 12, 2023 during fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries. (AFP)

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan announced the formation of a civilian parallel government in Khartoum, 19 months after seizing the majority of the Sudanese capital, including the presidential palace and various ministries.

The RSF named Abdul Latif Abdullah al-Amin al-Hassan as prime minister and formed a 90-member legislative civilian council that would offer services to the people and restore security.

The council has elected a judicial council and has been sworn in.

The legislative council vowed to provide essential services to the people, protect them and offer them civil assistance. It also vowed to restore state agencies that have collapsed during the war that erupted in April 2023.

Khartoum had been without a government or administration since the cabinet relocated to Port Sudan during the war.

Head of the legislative council, Nael Babakir Nael Al-Mak Nasser, said the vacuum caused by the war led to the collapse in basic and essential services, leading the people to demand the establishment of a civilian administration.

“The people of Khartoum took on this historic responsibility and communicated with the RSF leaderships in the state to request their approval to establish a civilian administration that can offer basic services,” he told a press conference on Friday.

The civilian and judicial councils will cooperate to ensure the services and humanitarian aid reach the people in Khartoum.



Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Gaza Strip as New Ceasefire Talks Begin

A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
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Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Gaza Strip as New Ceasefire Talks Begin

A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

An Israeli military strike killed 12 people in a house in Gaza City early on Saturday, bringing the death toll from strikes across Gaza to 62 over the last day, Palestinian medics said, as mediators launched a new ceasefire push in Qatar.

Residents and medics said at least 14 people had been in the house of the Al-Ghoula family when the strike took place in the early hours, destroying the building, Reuters reported.

People scoured the rubble for possible survivors trapped under the debris and medics said several children were among those killed. A few flames and trails of smoke continued to rise from burning furniture in the ruins hours after the attack.

"At about 2 a.m. (00:00 GMT) we were woken up by the sound of a huge explosion," said Ahmed Ayyan, a neighbour of the Al-Ghoula family, adding that 14 or 15 people had been staying in the house.

"Most of them are women and children, they are all civilians, there is no one there who shot missiles, or is from the resistance," Ayyan told Reuters.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the incident.

The military said in a statement on Saturday that its forces had continued their operations this week in Beit Hanoun town in the northern edge of the enclave, where the army has been operating for three months, and had destroyed a military complex that had been used by Hamas.

Later on Saturday, an Israeli airstrike killed three people in a car east of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, medics said. Dozens of Palestinians were killed in strikes on Friday, bringing the death toll during the past 24 hours to 62, health officials said.

A surge in Israeli operations and the number of Palestinians killed in recent days comes amid a renewed push to reach a ceasefire in the 15-month-old war and return Israeli hostages before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

Israeli mediators were dispatched to resume talks in Doha brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, and US President Joe Biden's administration, which is helping to broker the talks, urged Hamas on Friday to agree to a deal.

Hamas said it was committed to reaching an agreement but it was unclear how close the two sides were.