Sovereign Council Optimistic about Achieving Comprehensive Peace in Sudan

Sudanese protesters in a mass rally. (AFP file photo)
Sudanese protesters in a mass rally. (AFP file photo)
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Sovereign Council Optimistic about Achieving Comprehensive Peace in Sudan

Sudanese protesters in a mass rally. (AFP file photo)
Sudanese protesters in a mass rally. (AFP file photo)

Head of Sudan's Sovereign Council, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan is optimistic about the current negotiations in Juba, indicating that he believes they can achieve comprehensive peace in the country.

Burhan said the government will hold consultations with the United Nations and the African Union (AU) to choose mechanisms for monitoring the ceasefire, and technical and logistical support.

During his meeting with a UN delegation visiting Khartoum, he lauded the UN's partnership with Sudan on peace issues and economic challenges facing the country, noting that all displaced citizens will return to their areas, which requires the provision of basic services such as education, health, and infrastructure.

United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) spokesman Ashraf Eissa said the delegation sought to discuss UN’s contribution to supporting the peace process and a number of issues related to the transitional period.

Eissa relayed a message from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, confirming that the institutions of the transitional period are the main authority in defining UN's cooperation and work in Sudan at the current stage.

Meanwhile, members of the Sovereign Council and the government delegation to the negotiations, Yasser al-Atta and Mohammad Alfaki Suleiman, returned to Khartoum after their participation in the current round in Juba.

Alfaki stated that they returned to Sudan to conduct further consultations, report on the developments regarding the negotiations and participate in the meeting of the Supreme Peace Council.

In a related context, the Sudanese Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok, said that one of the transitional government’s main priorities is to achieve peace and stability in the country.

Hamadok met Sunday with the delegation of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) headed by the movement's Deputy Secretary General, Adam Issa Ibrahim Hasbo.

Ibrahim Hasbo revealed the meeting tackled the issues of prisoners and displaced persons, as well as arrangements with concerned authorities for the Movement's visits to various states of the country.

He affirmed the armed movements' support for the existing transitional authorities because they represent the will of the “December Revolution”.

Meanwhile, head of the National Umma Party, Sadiq al-Mahdi, stressed the need for an alliance between civilians and the military to stabilize the country, calling for an agreement on a new structure of the armed forces.

Speaking at a forum held by his party in Khartoum, al-Mahdi announced that Sudan must sign the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court before extraditing wanted persons.

The Umma Party has repeatedly demanded the extradition of ousted President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

Al-Mahdi warned against chaos in the country, noting that the international community should realize the importance of achieving stability in Sudan.



Israel Far Right Presses Netanyahu for Decisive Win Against Hamas

People protest against Israel and in solidarity with Palestinian children in Gaza, at Potsdamer Platz, in Berlin, Germany, August 3, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben/File Photo
People protest against Israel and in solidarity with Palestinian children in Gaza, at Potsdamer Platz, in Berlin, Germany, August 3, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben/File Photo
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Israel Far Right Presses Netanyahu for Decisive Win Against Hamas

People protest against Israel and in solidarity with Palestinian children in Gaza, at Potsdamer Platz, in Berlin, Germany, August 3, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben/File Photo
People protest against Israel and in solidarity with Palestinian children in Gaza, at Potsdamer Platz, in Berlin, Germany, August 3, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben/File Photo

Israel's far right pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to go harder against Hamas, ahead of a UN Security Council meeting Sunday on the premier's plan to conquer Gaza City.

Over 22 months into the war in Gaza, Israel is gripped by a yawning divide, pitting those calling for an end of the conflict along with a deal for the release of the hostages against others who want to see Hamas vanquished once and for all.

The debate has only intensified after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet announced plans Friday to expand the conflict and capture Gaza City.

While thousands took to the streets in Tel Aviv Saturday night to protest the cabinet's decision, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted a video online, slamming Netanyahu's decision on Gaza as half-hearted, AFP reported.

"The prime minister and the cabinet gave in to weakness. Emotion overcame reason, and they once again chose to do more of the same -- launching a military operation whose goal is not decisive victory, but rather to apply limited pressure on Hamas in order to bring about a partial hostage deal," Smotrich said.

"They decided once again to repeat the same approach, embarking on a military operation that does not aim for a decisive resolution."

Netanyahu is scheduled to hold a press conference with international media at 4:30 pm local time (13:30 GMT) on Sunday -- his first since the security cabinet decision.

The far-right members of Netanyahu's cabinet, including Smotrich, have maintained considerable influence in the premier's coalition government throughout the war -- with their support seen as vital to holding at least 61 seats for a parliamentary majority.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, also of the far right, told Kan radio on Sunday: "It is possible to achieve victory. I want all of Gaza, transfer and colonisation. This plan will not endanger the troops."

In Tel Aviv, demonstrators held up pictures of hostages still in Gaza, calling on the government to secure their release.

"We will end with a direct message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: if you invade parts of Gaza and the hostages are murdered, we will pursue you in the town squares, in election campaigns and at every time and place," Shahar Mor Zahiro, the relative of a slain hostage, told AFP.

The cabinet's decision to expand the war in Gaza has meanwhile touched off a wave of criticism across the globe.

On Sunday, the UN Security Council is set to meet to discuss the latest development.

Foreign powers, including some of Israel's allies, have been pushing for a negotiated truce to secure the hostages' return and help alleviate a humanitarian crisis in the territory following repeated warnings of famine taking hold.

Despite the backlash and rumors of dissent from Israeli military top brass, Netanyahu has remained firm.

In a post on social media late Friday, Netanyahu said "we are not going to occupy Gaza -- we are going to free Gaza from Hamas".

The premier has faced regular protests over the course of the war, with many rallies calling for the government to strike a deal after past truces saw hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.

Out of 251 hostages captured during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the military says are dead.

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Israel's offensive has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, figures the United Nations says are reliable.

According to Gaza's civil defence agency, at least 27 people were killed by Israeli fire across the territory Sunday, including 11 who were waiting near aid distribution centres.

Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.