More Displacement in Sudan as Battles Intensify

Sudanese army solders take part in a military parade on August 17, 2026, in the city of Gedaref in eastern Sudan during celebrations to mark the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces. (AFP)
Sudanese army solders take part in a military parade on August 17, 2026, in the city of Gedaref in eastern Sudan during celebrations to mark the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces. (AFP)
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More Displacement in Sudan as Battles Intensify

Sudanese army solders take part in a military parade on August 17, 2026, in the city of Gedaref in eastern Sudan during celebrations to mark the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces. (AFP)
Sudanese army solders take part in a military parade on August 17, 2026, in the city of Gedaref in eastern Sudan during celebrations to mark the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces. (AFP)

At least 12 people were killed and other wounded in Sudan’s North Kordofan as the army launched air strikes and drone attacks on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The fighting sparked a wave of displacement to the city of El Obeid.

Military troops continued to mobilize on the Kordofan and Blue Nile fronts, a sign that more fighting was to come.

Witnesses said the army launched airstrikes on RSF positions in North Kordofan and the Blue Nile at a time when ground fighting had eased between the two warring parties. The two sides had been relying increasingly on drones in the war.

The army and its allied forces have been focusing on expanding their control in North Kordofan and securing the surroundings of El Obeid. The RSF is positioned in areas west and south of the city.

The latest strikes were aimed at stemming any possible renewed fighting in the area.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that ongoing violence in Sudan continues to kill civilians and force more people from their homes.

In North Kordofan State, local authorities reported that more than a dozen civilians were killed and others injured in clashes in Um Arada town, southwest of the state capital El Obeid, on Friday, OCHA said in a statement.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that more than 4,200 people were displaced from the town and surrounding areas on Friday and Saturday.

Increased violence across North Kordofan is also affecting humanitarian operations, forcing humanitarian partners to suspend activities in Al Mazroub locality, which is facing a cholera outbreak.

Meanwhile, in Blue Nile State, renewed fighting was reported in Geisan and Kurmuk towns and surrounding areas last week. IOM says that about 5,400 people were displaced in recent days.

OCHA once again “called on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to allow aid to reach people quickly, safely and without obstruction.”

“Despite the insecurity, the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to deliver assistance to people in need. Across the Darfur region, the World Food Program reached about 2.3 million people with food assistance last month,” said OCHA.

OCHA continues to urge donors to provide additional funding for the humanitarian response. This year's humanitarian appeal for Sudan remains about 41 percent funded, with $1.2 billion received against the $2.9 billion required, added the statement.



CIA chief meets Egypt's Sisi in Cairo

FILED - 18 October 2023, Egypt, Cairo: President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is pictured in Cairo. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa Pool/dpa
FILED - 18 October 2023, Egypt, Cairo: President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is pictured in Cairo. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa Pool/dpa
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CIA chief meets Egypt's Sisi in Cairo

FILED - 18 October 2023, Egypt, Cairo: President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is pictured in Cairo. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa Pool/dpa
FILED - 18 October 2023, Egypt, Cairo: President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is pictured in Cairo. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa Pool/dpa

US Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Sunday in a rare visit to Cairo, as the United States warned of rapid escalation in the Middle East war.

Sisi's office said the meeting, attended by Egypt's spy chief Hassan Rashad, discussed the wars in Iran, the Gaza Strip and Sudan, as well as attacks on Gulf countries and threats to maritime security.

Sisi stressed "the paramount importance of settling regional crises through political and diplomatic tracks," according to a presidency statement.

"This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly," it warned.

Sisi's office said Ratcliffe on Sunday "lauded Egypt's pivotal role in supporting efforts aimed at reaching peaceful, comprehensive settlements to regional crises".


Arab Parliament Condemns Houthi Militia Attack Targeting Riyadh

Arab Parliament Condemns Houthi Militia Attack Targeting Riyadh
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Arab Parliament Condemns Houthi Militia Attack Targeting Riyadh

Arab Parliament Condemns Houthi Militia Attack Targeting Riyadh

The Arab Parliament has strongly denounced the terrorist Houthi militia's continued attacks, including the attack targeting Riyadh, stressing that it constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and a threat to Arab national security and regional stability.

In a statement on Sunday, Arab Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Yamahi expressed the parliament's full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its support for the measures it takes to defend itself against any attacks targeting its security and territorial integrity, SPA reported.

Al-Yamahi called on the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to assume its legal and political responsibilities to stop these blatant attacks, ensure that they are not repeated, and hold those responsible accountable.


French ISIS Suspects Stand Trial in Iraq

During the nearly three-hour session, the judge read the investigation findings, which were also shown on a screen, including the suspects' testimonies (INA)
During the nearly three-hour session, the judge read the investigation findings, which were also shown on a screen, including the suspects' testimonies (INA)
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French ISIS Suspects Stand Trial in Iraq

During the nearly three-hour session, the judge read the investigation findings, which were also shown on a screen, including the suspects' testimonies (INA)
During the nearly three-hour session, the judge read the investigation findings, which were also shown on a screen, including the suspects' testimonies (INA)

Six French nationals went on trial on Sunday, as Iraq moves to prosecute thousands of suspected ISIS members.

Iraq's prisons, already packed with ISIS suspects, have received thousands more detainees transferred since last year from Syria.

The trial of the six French nationals began on Sunday morning.

An AFP correspondent in the courtroom reported that the judge set the next hearing for October 5.

During the nearly three-hour session, the judge read the investigation findings, which were also shown on a screen, including the suspects' testimonies.

The investigation found that they joined ISIS after travelling first to Turkey and then Syria.

The judge then inquired about their legal representation before setting the new hearing date.

The suspects include Charlie Sun, Kamel Ben Mbarak, Najib Megherbi, Mehdi Ismael and Ibrahim Azahaf, who arrived in Syria when he was 14 years old, according to their French lawyers.

Among them was also Noureddine El Mansouri, who was stripped of his French nationality in June 2026, though the decision is still under appeal.

The suspects are part of a group of 47 French citizens transferred from Syria last year.

The larger group includes Adrien Guihal, who claimed responsibility for the 2016 Nice attack for ISIS.

The group swept across Syria and Iraq in 2014, committing massacres and forcing women and girls into sexual slavery.

French lawyers on Thursday urged the repatriation of the French nationals detained in Iraq, warning that they could face the death penalty.

In February, over 5,700 ISIS detainees from more than 60 countries were transferred to Iraq by the United States, after years held in Syrian prisons overseen by Kurdish-led forces.

Among them were at least five French nationals, some of whom were minors when their parents joined ISIS.

Earlier this month, Iraq's judiciary said it had completed their interrogation and that the cases would proceed to trial.

It added that more than 450 Syrians would be released after investigations found no evidence warranting legal action against them.

In April, Iraq handed over two detained foreigners, from Finland and the United States, to their countries after they were cleared of suspicion.