Sudan's Foreign Ministry Condemns Nairobi Meetings as Army Vows Retaliation

Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)
Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)
TT

Sudan's Foreign Ministry Condemns Nairobi Meetings as Army Vows Retaliation

Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)
Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry has downplayed meetings held in Nairobi, Kenya, to sign a political charter that would pave the way for the establishment of a government in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan.

This proposed government would act as a parallel authority to the military-backed administration based in Port Sudan, the country’s temporary capital.

The Foreign Ministry dismissed the initiative as a “propaganda stunt” and warned of potential measures to restore order.

The Sudanese army also vowed to confront supporters of the new government and to purge the country of RSF forces.

Speaking at a rally in the northern city of Al-Dabba, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army, General Yasir Al-Atta, stated that the military is preparing to “cleanse” the country of RSF forces and retake all areas under their control.

His remarks marked the first direct military response to the Nairobi meetings, which are backed by the RSF and seek to establish a so-called “Government of Peace and Unity.”

This coalition consists of political and civil groups, armed movements, and RSF representatives, positioning itself as an alternative to the military-led government in Port Sudan.

In a strongly worded statement, Al-Atta vowed to fight those attempting to establish the parallel government. “To those who claim to be forming a parallel government, we will fight you in every inch of Sudanese territory. We will show you that the Sudanese nation has lions with sharp claws and fangs,” he said.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry dismissed the Nairobi meetings as a “mere propaganda event” with no real impact. It also hinted at possible actions to restore order.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, the ministry expressed regret over Kenya’s decision to host the signing of what it called a political agreement between the “terrorist RSF militia” and its allies. It accused Kenya of violating international law, United Nations principles, and the founding charter of the African Union.

Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the signing of the political charter was postponed to Friday following the participation of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, led by Abdelaziz Adam Al-Hilu. Additional military and civilian factions are expected to join the initiative to establish a government in RSF-controlled areas, running parallel to the administration led by Army Chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan in Port Sudan.

The Foreign Ministry warned that the stated goal of the agreement—to form a government on Sudanese territory—amounts to an attempt to divide the country, undermine its sovereignty, and interfere in its internal affairs. It also accused Kenya of “harboring RSF leaders and allowing them to engage in public political and propaganda activities,” arguing that this effectively encourages continued crimes against civilians, including massacres and genocide.

Furthermore, the ministry accused the Kenyan government of violating principles of good neighborliness and contradicting previous commitments made at the highest levels not to allow hostile activities against Sudan from its territory.

The ministry asserted that the Nairobi meetings would have no real impact, emphasizing the Sudanese army’s determination to reclaim all land from what it described as the “terrorist militia and its foreign mercenaries.”

It also called on the international community to condemn Kenya’s actions, warning that Sudan would take the necessary steps to correct the situation.

Kenya Faces Domestic Criticism

Kenya has also faced internal criticism for hosting an event organized by the RSF to announce a parallel government, with some accusing it of irresponsibility and “covering up” criminal activities.

Two sources involved in organizing the event told Agence France Presse that RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), who has remained largely out of sight throughout the war, has arrived in Kenya and is expected to attend the official announcement on Friday.

Kenya has historically hosted several regional peace agreements, including the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Sudan 20 years ago, which ended a previous civil war. However, a lawyer working with the International Refugee Organization, a human rights group, stated that Kenya’s latest move “undermines” the positive image it seeks to project.



West Bank on Verge of ‘Explosion’, Says Senior Palestinian Official

Israeli soldiers take positions during an army raid in the Rafidia area of Nablus, West Bank, 19 October 2026. (EPA)
Israeli soldiers take positions during an army raid in the Rafidia area of Nablus, West Bank, 19 October 2026. (EPA)
TT

West Bank on Verge of ‘Explosion’, Says Senior Palestinian Official

Israeli soldiers take positions during an army raid in the Rafidia area of Nablus, West Bank, 19 October 2026. (EPA)
Israeli soldiers take positions during an army raid in the Rafidia area of Nablus, West Bank, 19 October 2026. (EPA)

Israeli settler attacks risk setting off an "explosion" in the occupied West Bank, a senior Palestinian leader told AFP, while urging that the response remain peaceful.

Jibril Rajoub, the secretary general of the central committee of the Palestinian Authority's ruling Fatah faction, said he called for "peaceful confrontation" as he took part in meetings in Cairo with other Palestinian movements including Gaza-based rival Hamas, which led the October 7, 2023 attacks against Israel.

"The terrorism carried out by the army and settlers, under the supervision of the Israeli government... is a prelude to a coming reaction and explosion," Rajoub told AFP in Cairo.

But he said that a "peaceful, nonviolent struggle is a necessity and a strategic choice for all Palestinians".

"Bloodshed is no longer an acceptable option," he said, calling for "peaceful confrontation with the occupation, despite the crimes it commits".

Settlers have carried out daily physical attacks, thefts and other attacks against Palestinians, with the violence intensifying in the run-up to October 27 elections, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, governing with the fiercely pro-settlement far-right, is seeking a new mandate.

Violence has picked up as extremist settlers seek to stop the Palestinian olive harvest, an annual season with cultural resonance for the community.

More than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, which are considered illegal under international law, surrounded by around three million Palestinians.

The talks in Cairo came after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who has ruled since 2005, delayed elections slated to start next month until September 2027.

Rajoub said the talks called for "unified political representation" with the principle of a "single authority" and "only one legitimate armed force".

Hamas took over Gaza in 2007, dividing the two Palestinian territories. Israel has vowed to obliterate Hamas after the October 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest day in Israel's history. The Hamas attack resulted in 1,221 deaths.

At least 1,125 Palestinians have died in the West Bank since October 2023, mostly by the Israeli military, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures.

Settler attacks have killed 23 Palestinians in that timeframe, according to the United Nations.

Palestinian attacks have killed at least 49 Israelis in the same period, according to Israeli figures.

In Gaza, the Israeli offensive has killed 74,459 Palestinians since October 2023, according to figures under the health ministry run under Hamas. The United Nations generally considers the figures reliable.


Israel to Resume Commercial Shipments to Gaza After Hamas Fee Dispute

Tents are pictured by the rubble of collapsed buildings in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on October 19, 2026. (AFP)
Tents are pictured by the rubble of collapsed buildings in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on October 19, 2026. (AFP)
TT

Israel to Resume Commercial Shipments to Gaza After Hamas Fee Dispute

Tents are pictured by the rubble of collapsed buildings in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on October 19, 2026. (AFP)
Tents are pictured by the rubble of collapsed buildings in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on October 19, 2026. (AFP)

Israel said on ‌Monday it would resume allowing commercial goods shipments into Gaza after a days-long halt over a tax dispute involving Hamas and merchants, restoring a key route for food and other essentials to the aid-dependent enclave.

COGAT, the Israeli military agency overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza, said it made the decision after merchants reported that Hamas authorities had withdrawn demands for payments of 10,000 shekels ($3,225) per truck.

"The resumption of coordination is being carried ‌out in accordance ‌with Israel's commitment to the ‌humanitarian provisions ⁠of the ceasefire agreement," ⁠it said.

COGAT said the merchants' accounts had not been independently verified and shipments would resume gradually, with priority given to essential goods ahead of winter.

Oversight would be tightened to ensure payments are made and received only through documented bank transfers, with any merchant ⁠found to have paid Hamas facing ‌exclusion from the system.

Hamas said ‌the 10,000-shekel fee was a voluntary contribution by better-off Gazans ‌to a national fund supporting people in need in ‌the war-ravaged territory.

Most Gazans remain dependent on aid after three years of war, repeated displacement and severe restrictions on aid deliveries. While last year's US-brokered ceasefire halted the heaviest ‌fighting, it has not ended Israeli attacks.

Local health officials said on Monday ⁠that at ⁠least five Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed in separate Israeli strikes in Gaza City and Khan Younis. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

Israel says Hamas has continued to rearm and carry out attacks in violation of the ceasefire, while Hamas accuses Israel of undermining the agreement.

Gaza health officials say about 1,500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the October 2025 ceasefire, while Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed by fighters in Gaza over the same period.


Dawn of Yemen Operation Piles Pressure on Houthis in Taiz

A member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, including National Army and Taiz Axis forces, mans a turret mounted on the back of a pickup truck at a checkpoint along the Kadha frontline west of Taiz in western Yemen on September 13, 2026. (AFP)
A member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, including National Army and Taiz Axis forces, mans a turret mounted on the back of a pickup truck at a checkpoint along the Kadha frontline west of Taiz in western Yemen on September 13, 2026. (AFP)
TT

Dawn of Yemen Operation Piles Pressure on Houthis in Taiz

A member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, including National Army and Taiz Axis forces, mans a turret mounted on the back of a pickup truck at a checkpoint along the Kadha frontline west of Taiz in western Yemen on September 13, 2026. (AFP)
A member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, including National Army and Taiz Axis forces, mans a turret mounted on the back of a pickup truck at a checkpoint along the Kadha frontline west of Taiz in western Yemen on September 13, 2026. (AFP)

The "Dawn of Yemen" operation entered its 15th day amid sustained military pressure against Iran-backed Houthi militias on the Taiz and Marib fronts.

Government forces continued offensive operations to retake Houthi-held positions, supported by airstrikes on militia gatherings and reinforcements, with Yemeni military estimates placing Houthi casualties at over 15,000 dead and wounded in recent weeks.

The Yemeni Armed Forces said they carried out 1,326 operations over the past 24 hours, striking Houthi gatherings, vehicles, fortifications, and firing positions.

According to an initial toll, the operations resulted in the neutralization of around 370 militants and the destruction and disabling of dozens of military vehicles and assets.

In Taiz, clashes continued across multiple axes, as government forces advanced backed by the popular resistance, and the recapture of positions, heavy weapons, and military equipment.

Meanwhile, the Houthis are seeking to reorganize their ranks and reinforce combat positions following the collapse of attacks described as some of the fiercest over the past two days.

Government forces made advances in the Al-Sanamat and Al-Sarari areas of the Saber district, south of Taiz, following an offensive that began at dawn on Sunday, according to military sources. They reported significant casualties among the Houthis.

Houthi supporters ride in pickup trucks carrying portraits and the coffin of a fighter killed in recent fighting during a funeral procession in Sanaa, Yemen, 17 October 2026. (EPA)

Warplanes launched three airstrikes targeting group gatherings northwest of the city.

Government forces also maintained pressure on the remaining Houthi pockets in the Bab al-Mandeb area, while working to secure the highlands separating the Taiz and Lahj governorates.

The effort aims to consolidate the positions recaptured by the forces and prevent the militants from using them to launch counterattacks.

In Aden, an expanded security meeting chaired by Yemeni Minister of Interior Major General Ibrahim Haydan discussed the latest security developments, general mobilization, and the level of readiness within security agencies across governorates.

The meeting also addressed ongoing efforts to combat crime, pursue wanted individuals, and apprehend subversive cells.