Sudan’s Ex-Foreign Minister Mansour Khalid Dies

Former Sudanese foreign minister Mansour Khalid.
Former Sudanese foreign minister Mansour Khalid.
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Sudan’s Ex-Foreign Minister Mansour Khalid Dies

Former Sudanese foreign minister Mansour Khalid.
Former Sudanese foreign minister Mansour Khalid.

Sudan’s prominent intellectual, veteran politician and former foreign minister Mansour Khalid died at age 89 in one of Khartoum’s hospitals, leaving behind a long and rich legacy.

Khalid was a published author with books, written both in English and Arabic, focused on Sudan’s political spectrum, which he was famous for sharply criticizing. In one of his books, “The Sudanese political elite and the addiction of failure,” he discussed deeply the failures of the political ruling class in post-1956 Sudan.

He was raised by a Sufi family in the city of Omdurman, where he was born in 1931.

A fierce intellectual, Khalid received a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1957. It was followed by a Master of Laws from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania three years later. Khalid earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Paris in a couple of years.

At the University of Colorado, Khalid lectured on international law, comparative law and the law of international aid.

Khalid’s literary talent shined bright since his school days. He soon drew attention to his excellence in research and investigation, the accuracy of analysis, and his high writing and language integrity capabilities.

He worked as an independent press correspondent for a number of dailies, then as a reporter for AFP from Khartoum.

After his graduation, he practiced law in the office of the late lawyer and politician Farouk Abu Issa, and after that he moved to work as a secretary in the office of former Prime Minister Abdullah Khalil.

Khalid served as the minister of youth and social affairs at the government of Sudan. In the early 1970s, President Jaafar Nimeri appointed Khalid as Foreign Minister.

Khalid stirred a lot of political, intellectual and cultural controversy, especially after deciding to join the 1969 seizure of power under Nimeri.

Khalid also set up a long collaboration with the United Nations, first as a law officer at its New York City secretariat. More so, Khalid achieved a transfer to Paris where he worked with UNESCO as an officer responsible for Arab states in the bureau of relations with member states for four years.

In the 1980s, Khalid shared close ties with the late South Sudan politician John Garang.

Khalid became close to Garang, which made him contribute to theorizing the idea of the "New Sudan", a political project that the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) was proposing to end the ongoing war and political turmoil.

Khalid had joined the SPLM which had been fighting against the rule of now ousted President Omar al-Bashir, before signing peace agreement in 2005, that later led to the separation of the South from the North in 2011.



Israel Expands ‘Security Annexation’ in Gaza

Palestinians inspect a United Nations building after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on April 2, 2025 (Associated Press)
Palestinians inspect a United Nations building after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on April 2, 2025 (Associated Press)
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Israel Expands ‘Security Annexation’ in Gaza

Palestinians inspect a United Nations building after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on April 2, 2025 (Associated Press)
Palestinians inspect a United Nations building after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on April 2, 2025 (Associated Press)

As Israel expanded its military operations in Gaza and the West Bank, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sparked Palestinian outrage by entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he plans to seize large areas of land in Gaza and turn them into “security zones,” as well as in the West Bank to bolster Jewish settlements.

On Wednesday, Katz announced that Israeli forces would move into the Gaza Strip "to cleanse areas of terrorists and infrastructure" and seize large swaths of land to expand Israel's security zones.

The statement followed the deployment of an additional Israeli brigade in southern Gaza as part of an escalation in the offensive. The Israeli army’s Radio reported that the 36th Armored Division is leading the new ground operation in Gaza.

The Israeli military also ordered the complete evacuation of the Rafah area along the southern Gaza border, initiating incursions in the region, including targeting vast areas between Rafah and Khan Younis. This marks the largest evacuation order since Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire.

Field sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israeli forces have effectively taken control of areas in Rafah and are attempting to push further into other parts of the city, making it largely under their control.

The sources added that the incursion has begun in certain areas, while the military maintains fire control over others. It is expected that the forces will reach these areas at any moment, including parts of the southeastern region of Khan Younis, which lies close to Rafah.

In a provocative move, Ben-Gvir led an incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Wednesday. Since taking office as National Security Minister, Ben-Gvir has entered the site more than eight times, a move that has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation.

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the incursion, under the protection of Israeli police, and the eviction of worshippers. The Kingdom reiterated its condemnation of Israel's ongoing flagrant violations of the mosque's sanctity.

In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia also condemned the Israeli forces’ targeting of a clinic run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

The Kingdom expressed its concern over the continued Israeli attacks on UN agencies, humanitarian organizations, and their workers.

Saudi Arabia emphasized the need to protect UN agencies, humanitarian organizations, and their personnel, urging the international community to take action to end Israel's relentless military actions, which disregard human values and international laws.

The Kingdom warned that the international community’s failure to deter such grave and persistent violations would undermine the prospects for achieving lasting peace, erode the credibility and legitimacy of international law, and negatively affect regional and global security and stability.