Aboul Gheit Affirms AL’s Commitment to Sudan’s Stability

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit receives Wednesday Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the Origin, Jafar al-Sadig al-Mirghani. SUDAN NEWS AGENCY
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit receives Wednesday Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the Origin, Jafar al-Sadig al-Mirghani. SUDAN NEWS AGENCY
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Aboul Gheit Affirms AL’s Commitment to Sudan’s Stability

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit receives Wednesday Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the Origin, Jafar al-Sadig al-Mirghani. SUDAN NEWS AGENCY
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit receives Wednesday Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the Origin, Jafar al-Sadig al-Mirghani. SUDAN NEWS AGENCY

The Arab League Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, affirmed the Arab League's commitment to supporting Sudan in this critical stage to overcome challenges during the transitional period.

Aboul Gheit received Wednesday Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Jafar al-Sadig al-Mirghani.

A reliable source at the Arab League Secretariat said the meeting tackled developments in Sudan and the progress of the transition process, since the signing of the documents for the transitional period in July.

Mirghani, on his turn, lauded the AL’s effective role in supporting Sudan and its democratic transition.

In a related context, the AL stressed the importance of media in promoting relations between Arab and African peoples and increasing awareness on different challenges facing development in Africa.

Addressing the seventh international media forum for African media, Director of the Media Department Nasima Sharit highlighted the need to activate the role of media to allow for reaching common understandings and preparing generations to be able to deal with all communication channels.

Dr. Fawzi al-Ghuwail, Director of AIMC’s (Council of Arab Information Ministers) technical secretariat, also shed light on the importance of directing the media to showcase potentials and capabilities found in Africa. He also stressed the importance of this forum in discussing solutions and presenting recommendations to boost Arab-African ties.



Australia Starts Evacuating Nationals from Lebanon via Cyprus

 Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)
Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)
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Australia Starts Evacuating Nationals from Lebanon via Cyprus

 Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)
Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)

Australia started evacuating its nationals from Lebanon via Cyprus on Saturday, in the first large-scale operation to get citizens out of the country amid an Israeli onslaught on Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Some 229 people arrived on the east Mediterranean island, which lies a 40-minute flight time from Beirut, on a commercial airline chartered by Australia. A second flight is scheduled later in the day.

More evacuation flights could be expected based on demand, Australian and Cypriot officials said.

At Cyprus's Larnaca airport, civilians of all ages transferred from the aircraft into a terminal and then escorted onto waiting coaches. Children helped themselves to red apples and water provided by Australian military staff.

"They are exhausted, exceptionally happy to be here but heartbroken because they left family behind," said Fiona McKergow, the Australian High Commissioner (Ambassador) to Cyprus.

More and more countries are using close hubs like Cyprus to assist in evacuations from Lebanon. Israel has sharply escalated attacks on Hezbollah in recent weeks, with a barrage of airstrikes and a ground operation in the south of the country, after nearly a year of lower-level cross-border conflict waged in parallel with Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

In the past week, Cyprus assisted evacuations by China, Greece, Portugal and Slovakia. Britain and the United States have also moved personnel to Cyprus to assist in military evacuations, if necessary.

Cyprus had been used to evacuate close to 60,000 people from Lebanon in the last serious escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

Some of those evacuated on Saturday said they did not think they would ever return to Lebanon.

"Never, ever. I was traumatized, my kids were traumatized. It's not a safe country, I won't be back," said Dana Hameh, 34.

She added: "I feel very sad leaving my country but I'm very happy to start a new life in Sydney. Life goes on. I wish the best for everyone."