Rifaat Assad’s Son Says Father Interested in Returning to Syrian Politics

Rifaat Assad. (AP file photo)
Rifaat Assad. (AP file photo)
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Rifaat Assad’s Son Says Father Interested in Returning to Syrian Politics

Rifaat Assad. (AP file photo)
Rifaat Assad. (AP file photo)

Duraid Assad, the cousin of Syrian president Bashar Assad, revealed that his father, Rifaat, was interested in taking part in the country’s political process.

In a post on his official Facebook page, Duraid revealed that his father “was looking forward to building Syria – a Syria which all national political forces can take part in a comprehensive political operation” in shaping the country’s future.

Hinting at the role played by Bashar’s wife, Asma, in the conflict with the president’s cousin Rami Makhlouf, Duraid said Rifaat’s family has nothing to do with what is taking place in Syria today.

“Just as Rifaat had distanced himself from developments in Syria for 36 years, due to the major political dispute with the ruling power and the way it has handled several political, economic and social files, he and his family are distancing themselves from what is happening in Syria today,” said Duraid.

Rifaat is the younger brother of late president Hafez Assad and staged a failed coup against him in 1984. He has been in exile in France ever since.

The 82-year-old, dubbed the "Butcher of Hama" for allegedly commanding troops who put down an uprising in central Syria in 1982, has been under investigation in France since 2014. He is standing trial in Paris for crimes allegedly committed between 1984 and 2016, including aggravated tax fraud and misappropriation of Syrian funds.

Indirectly referring to the dispute between Bashar and Makhlouf, Duraid said his father “is above all petty disputes,” adding: “We are, once again, rising above our wounds and pain.”

On Saturday, Duraid waded into the Assad-Makhlouf dispute, hinting at Asma’s role in the conflict.

“The wife, who brings her husband closer to her family, is taking him away from his own and weakening him in front of everyone,” he remarked. His statement drew sharp criticism, forcing him to declare that he was not targeting anyone in specific and that people can interpret it in any way they want.



Sudanese Army Recaptures Positions from RSF in El Fasher

Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
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Sudanese Army Recaptures Positions from RSF in El Fasher

Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)

The Sudanese army carried out a surprise military operation in the early hours of Saturday in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, regaining several positions in the city’s far southwest that it had previously abandoned to advancing Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Military sources reported that calm returned to El Fasher after intense clashes on Friday between the army and RSF fighters, who attempted a major offensive to deepen their hold inside the city. In a statement, the army said its Sixth Infantry Division successfully repelled a fresh RSF attack, inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment, and restored control over all frontline areas.

RSF militants had infiltrated southern neighborhoods, seizing the Central Security Reserve headquarters and the Shalla prison. According to army sources, these forces were pushed back through ground combat supported by extensive drone strikes, forcing them to retreat to their original positions. The sources confirmed there were no significant breakthroughs or territorial gains by the RSF following the operation.

In a statement on Saturday, Prime Minister Kamel Idris expressed “deep anger, pain, and responsibility” over the worsening humanitarian disaster in El Fasher. He condemned the “suffocating and inhumane siege imposed by the RSF militia,” describing it as “one of the most brutal cases of collective extortion and systematic starvation in recent history.”

Idris vowed that the government would not stand idly by in the face of this “atrocious” crime and pledged to use all political, diplomatic, and humanitarian means to break the siege and ensure urgent aid reaches civilians trapped in El Fasher amid widespread starvation and international silence.

He called on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, along with international and humanitarian organizations, to act immediately to pressure the militia to open humanitarian corridors and end the use of starvation as a weapon against civilians.

The prime minister highlighted the RSF’s refusal to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2736, which demands lifting the siege on El Fasher, and their rejection of UN calls for a humanitarian ceasefire. He held the militia responsible for obstructing aid and accountable for the ongoing starvation and terror inflicted on civilians.

Idris warned against silence over these crimes, including the killing of civilians fleeing the siege and bombardments. He also cited the systematic destruction of hospitals by RSF suicide drone and strategic attacks, threatening the lives of millions of innocent civilians.

“What is happening in El Fasher is a major crime committed in full view and hearing of the world,” he said, urging the international community to move beyond lukewarm statements to real action and pressure on those besieging, starving, and attacking civilians.

The RSF continues to attempt to seize the city and its army base, the last stronghold of government forces across all Darfur states. Military sources said defenders repelled the assault and inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers.

The RSF has maintained a tight siege on El Fasher since May 2024, blocking all roads and supply routes and preventing humanitarian aid from entering, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths from starvation and medical shortages.