Hamdok Warns of Sudan’s Disintegration as War Escalates

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Facebook)
Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Facebook)
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Hamdok Warns of Sudan’s Disintegration as War Escalates

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Facebook)
Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Facebook)

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has issued a stark warning about the future of Sudan, cautioning that continued warfare could lead to the country’s fragmentation.

Speaking at the International Conference on Social Cohesion in Kampala on Wednesday, Hamdok stressed the futility of a military solution and called for urgent dialogue to halt the conflict.

The conference, held from May 17 to 21 in Uganda’s capital, gathered over 60 Sudanese figures to address the rising tide of hate speech and its threat to national unity.

Hamdok used the platform to unveil plans for a National Center to Combat Hate Speech, aimed at monitoring incitement, holding perpetrators accountable, and promoting peaceful coexistence.

He warned that Sudan is at risk of descending into chaos unless warring factions prioritize peace. “With increasing mobilization and fragmentation, the risk of collapse looms from every direction,” he said, urging both sides to take immediate steps to end the bloodshed.

Hamdok, who led Sudan’s transitional government following the 2019 uprising that toppled the former regime, described the country’s current state as “critical and fragile.”

He noted that the war has triggered severe social, political, and economic shifts, extending beyond the battlefield to manifest in exclusion, abuse, and the spread of violence and marginalization.

“The conflict has morphed from killing and displacement into deeper social wounds -acts of cruelty, exclusion, incitement, and horrific crimes,” he said. He stressed that these developments threaten the very fabric of Sudanese society.

Hamdok also raised alarm over the sharp rise in hate speech and what he called “new forms of social discrimination” based on ethnicity, gender, color, and geography. He stressed that Sudan’s diversity should be a source of strength, not division.

“Our diversity is one of our greatest assets,” he said. “But unity can only be achieved through social peace and strengthened ties across religious, ethnic, and regional lines.”

Calling on religious leaders, tribal elders, youth, intellectuals, artists, and women, Hamdok urged a united front to restore peaceful coexistence and resist the spread of hatred.

He pledged to work with communities affected by divisive rhetoric and announced the launch of media campaigns to criminalize hate speech and promote national solidarity.

“The media landscape has become saturated with messages inciting violence and discrimination. No region has been spared,” Hamdok warned. “We must dismantle the platforms of hate and build a culture of mutual respect.”



Israel Escalates Strikes in Southern Lebanon, Targeting Hezbollah

A UNIFIL vehicle on patrol in the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun (AFP)
A UNIFIL vehicle on patrol in the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun (AFP)
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Israel Escalates Strikes in Southern Lebanon, Targeting Hezbollah

A UNIFIL vehicle on patrol in the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun (AFP)
A UNIFIL vehicle on patrol in the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun (AFP)

Israel intensified its military operations in southern Lebanon on Saturday, carrying out four raids against suspected Hezbollah operatives in the deadliest day of attacks in two months. The strikes killed one person and wounded six others.

The escalation comes as Lebanese officials struggle to finalize a unified response to a US proposal demanding Hezbollah’s disarmament and sweeping reforms. The response is expected to be delivered to US envoy Thomas Barrack on Monday.

According to the Israeli army, one drone strike killed a member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force near the town of Ainata. Lebanese authorities reported that the attack targeted a vehicle in the Saf al-Hawa area at the entrance to Bint Jbeil.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said an initial strike killed one person and injured two. Later strikes in Bint Jbeil and neighboring Shaqra wounded four more, including two critically. Another attack in Shebaa reportedly targeted a house, injuring a civilian.

Israel’s Army Radio confirmed that the military had tried to assassinate four Hezbollah members in separate operations, confirming one fatality while assessing the status of the others.

The attacks represent the largest number of targeted strikes in a single day since April. Lebanese observers see the surge in military pressure as an Israeli attempt to influence the tense negotiations in Beirut.

Hezbollah has yet to provide an official response to the American demands and has signaled it will not compromise without guarantees, particularly requiring Israel to fully implement a ceasefire agreement reached last November. That truce called for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory, an end to air and ground violations, and the release of Lebanese prisoners.

Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has demanded Israel withdraw from five strategic positions it continues to occupy in southern Lebanon, while Israel insists it will maintain military pressure unless Hezbollah disarms.

On Thursday, an Israeli drone strike near southern Beirut killed a man and wounded three others. Israeli forces claimed they had targeted an “Iranian-affiliated terrorist.”

Under the ceasefire terms, Hezbollah was to dismantle its military infrastructure south of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, in exchange for expanded deployment of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers. Israel was to withdraw from the newly occupied positions, though it has so far refused to pull out of key sites.