President of Sudan Sovereign Council Orders Army Restructure

Members of Sudan's Sovereign Council are sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum, August 21, 2019. (Reuters)
Members of Sudan's Sovereign Council are sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum, August 21, 2019. (Reuters)
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President of Sudan Sovereign Council Orders Army Restructure

Members of Sudan's Sovereign Council are sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum, August 21, 2019. (Reuters)
Members of Sudan's Sovereign Council are sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum, August 21, 2019. (Reuters)

President of the Sudanese Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ordered a major army restructure, appointing General Mohamed Osman al-Hussein as Chief of Staff. He also promoted a number of officers to the rank of colonel and referred others to retirement.

His orders were consistent with the provisions of the constitutional document governing the transitional phase, which granted military and security services the authority to restructure the army and other security forces.

Burhan also appointed Majdi Ibrahim as deputy chief of staff, Lieutenant General Munawar Othman as deputy chief of staff in management, Lieutenant General Abdullah al-Bashir as deputy chief of staff of training, Lieutenant General Khaled al-Shami as deputy chief of staff of operations, and Lieutenant General Jamal Abdul Majid to the General Intelligence Agency.

Spokesperson of the armed forces, Brigadier General Amer Mohammed al-Hassan, issued a press statement announcing Burhan’s decisions to promote a number of officers, whereby Lieutenant General Essam Karar was appointed as commander of ground forces and General Essam Koko as commander of the air force.

In addition, Major General Bahri Mahgoub Bushra Ahmed Rahma was assigned as navy commander and Lieutenant General Abdullah al-Matari as inspector general.

Air Marshal Mohammad Ali Mahmoud, Lieutenant General Abdul Rahman Yousif Ali al-Faki and Vice Admiral Majdi Omar Sayed Marzouq were retired from their duties.

Based on the provisions of the constitutional document, the Sovereignty Council formed this month a Security and Defense Council under the chairmanship of Burhan.

Separately, Minister of Justice Nasruddin Abdul Bari also appointed a number of officials and legal advisers to new positions.

The new assignments are in line with the constitutional document, which calls for purging the influence of the dissolved Islamic regime and all of its symbols.



Israeli Officials Signal They Want UN to Remain Key Gaza Aid Channel, Says Senior UN Official

 Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations stand in northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP)
Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations stand in northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP)
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Israeli Officials Signal They Want UN to Remain Key Gaza Aid Channel, Says Senior UN Official

 Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations stand in northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP)
Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations stand in northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP)

Israeli officials have signaled they want the United Nations to remain the key avenue for humanitarian deliveries in Gaza, the deputy head of the World Food Program said on Friday, noting the work of a controversial US aid group was not discussed.

"They wanted the UN to continue to be the main track for delivery, especially should there be a cease fire, and they asked us to be ready to scale up," Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the UN food agency, told reporters on Friday after visiting Gaza and Israel last week.

The US, Egypt and Qatar are trying to broker a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.

Hamas said on Wednesday that the flow of aid was one of the sticking points.

Israel and the United States have publicly urged the UN to work through the new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but the UN has refused, questioning the group's neutrality and accusing the distribution model of militarizing aid and forcing displacement.

Skau said he met with Israeli authorities at different levels last week and that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation "did not come up in those conversations."

"I think there were rumors of the UN being pushed out, but it was very clear in my engagement that they want the UN to continue to be the main track in delivery," Skau said.

DEATHS

Since Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza on May 19, allowing limited UN deliveries to resume.

The GHF launched its operation, using private US security and logistics firms to transport aid to distribution hubs, a week later.

The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that it had recorded 615 deaths near GHF sites and 183 deaths "presumably on the route of aid convoys" operated by the UN and other relief groups.

The GHF has repeatedly said there have been no deaths at any of its aid distribution sites. The group said on Friday that it has so far delivered more than 70 million meals in Gaza.

The US State Department has approved $30 million in funding for the GHF, which touts its model as "reinventing aid delivery in war zones."

Israel and the United States have accused Hamas of stealing aid from the UN-led operations, which the group denies.

Throughout the conflict, the United Nations has described its humanitarian operation in Gaza as opportunistic - facing problems with Israel's military operation, access restrictions by Israel into and throughout Gaza, and looting by armed gangs.

But the UN has said its aid distribution system works, and that was particularly proven during a two-month ceasefire, which Israel abandoned in mid-March.

The UN said it got 600-700 trucks of aid a day into Gaza during the truce and has stressed then when people know there is a steady flow of aid, the looting subsides.