Hamdok Heads to Djibouti to Lay Foundation Stone of New ‘IGAD’ Headquarters

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok
Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok
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Hamdok Heads to Djibouti to Lay Foundation Stone of New ‘IGAD’ Headquarters

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok
Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok Kicked off Sunday an official two-day visit to Djibouti at the invitation of Djibouti’ President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

Hamdok is scheduled to discuss means of bilateral cooperation and inform the Djiboutian leadership of the developments in Sudan, according to the Sudanese Ambassador to Djibouti, Hamza al-Amin Baou.

He will also lay the foundation stone for the new headquarters of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and visit the facilities of “Djibouti Telecom” and ports in the city, Baou added.

Work of the ministerial committees between the two countries in the capital Khartoum will resume in the coming period, after it was halted for six years, he noted.

The eight-nation trading and security bloc chose Sudan in November to take over the chair position, replacing Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, Hamdok reiterated his government keenness to make peace negotiations with the armed movements successful.

Upon his meeting with South Sudan's presidential Adviser on security affairs Tut Gatluak in Khartoum on Saturday, Hamdok affirmed the transitional government's support for the ongoing peace process in Juba.

In press statements, Gatluak said parties to the negotiations have overcome many challenges, noting the positive results achieved during the current round of negotiations.

He stressed South Sudan’s keenness to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable peace that preserves stability in Sudan.

In this context, Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), the ruling political alliance of civilian and rebel coalitions of Sudanese groups, has pointed to the remarkable progress in the peace process, stressing that the peace issue is fundamental and is at the forefront of the revolution’s tasks.

It said in a press statement that the outstanding issues on the negotiating table can be overcome by the revolution, which has united the national conscience.

“We appreciate the efforts exerted by the negotiating delegations, the government and the armed movements.”



Syrian Interior Ministry Arrests ISIS Cell Responsible for Church Attack

People gather at Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus following the suicide bombing on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (EPA) 
People gather at Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus following the suicide bombing on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (EPA) 
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Syrian Interior Ministry Arrests ISIS Cell Responsible for Church Attack

People gather at Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus following the suicide bombing on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (EPA) 
People gather at Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus following the suicide bombing on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (EPA) 

Hours after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed that those involved in a “heinous” suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, Syria’s Interior Ministry said authorities had arrested several suspects in connection with the attack.

The shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the Mar Elias church in the Dweila district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and injured 63 others, according to the Health Ministry.

“In coordination with the General Intelligence Service, the Ministry carried out security operations against ISIS-linked terrorist cells in the Damascus countryside, arresting a cell leader and five members, and killing two others affiliated with the terrorist attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus,” the Syrian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

“During the raid, quantities of weapons and ammunition were seized, in addition to explosive vests and mines. A motorcycle bomb that had been prepared for detonation was also found,” it said.

On Monday, the Syrian President expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the church bombing.

He said “this heinous crime that targeted innocent people in their worship places reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity –government and people- in confronting threats to our security and the stability of our country.”

Sharaa added, “Today, we all stand united, rejecting injustice and crime in all its forms. We pledge to the victims that we will work day and night, mobilizing all our specialized security services, to apprehend all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and bring them to justice to face their just punishment.”

The attack is the first such bombing in Damascus since the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime. It raised fear among the people.

Commenting on the attack, a man in his 70s described the attack as “a huge and horrible strike,” stressing the need for “the authorities to tighten security measures on churches, all places of worship, and busy places.”

On Monday, Asharq Al-Awsat spotted heavy deployment of local security agents in the capital’s neighborhoods and major roads, amid heightened security measures.

Adbdulrahman Alhaj, a researcher in Islamic studies, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Interior Ministry statement that linked the attack to an ISIS suicide attack is a suggestion that the ministry’s spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba had mentioned in his Sunday press briefing.

Alhaj said he supports the ministry’s conclusions as ISIS had recently issued several threats signaling plans to confront the new regime in Damascus particularly, al-Sharaa.