Dagalo Accuses Sudanese Parties of ‘Obstructing’ Peace

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo addresses troops at a camp west of Omdurman. SUNA
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo addresses troops at a camp west of Omdurman. SUNA
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Dagalo Accuses Sudanese Parties of ‘Obstructing’ Peace

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo addresses troops at a camp west of Omdurman. SUNA
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo addresses troops at a camp west of Omdurman. SUNA

The leader of Sudan's Sovereign Council, Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan, said on Friday that his country is passing through exceptional circumstances imposed by the reality of the transitional period.

On the occasion of Eid al-Adha, Burhan called for spreading a spirit of forgiveness in the country to enhance national unity.

“There is a need to exert efforts for building state institutions during this transitional phase,” he said.

For his part, his deputy chairman, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, warned that some parties plan to obstruct peace.

Dagalo said the parties seek to incite strife and to settle their own scores to destroy the country.

“The international community wants to achieve peace in Sudan. However, unfortunately, some parties inside the country do not want peace,” he said.

Also on Friday, Chairman of Sudan’s opposition Umma Party Sadiq Al-Mahdi rejected to extend the transitional phase.

In a sermon delivered on the occasion of Eid al-Adha from Wad Nubawi mosque in Omdurman, he spoke about the "failure of the transitional period.”

After months of protests in Sudan, negotiations led last year to a joint civilian-military transitional government to govern the country for a period of 39 months.

In his evaluation of the transitional period, al-Mahdi disapproved Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok’s request to place Sudan under "UN tutelage.”

The NUP leader also criticized the PM’s acceptance of the principle of paying compensation to US victims of terror attacks committed by the ousted regime in order to remove Sudan from the list of countries that support terrorism.

The Umma Party leader said that the communist faction of the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) recently established an alliance with the SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and formed a secularist bloc with external support from the right-wing American evangelical groups that seek to divide Sudan.

"This secularist bloc, with its declared policies, would provide the Islamist bloc with more reasons to justify its existence and actions,” he said.

Leader of the Original Democratic Unionist Party Muhammad Uthman al Mirghani expressed on Friday his support to the transitional government “until holding free and fair elections to allow the Sudanese people chose their representatives.”



Confession in Hisham al-Hashimi Killing Sparks Outrage in Iraq

File photo shows an Iraqi man standing in front of a poster of researcher Hisham al-Hashimi, who was shot dead in Baghdad in July 2020 (AP)
File photo shows an Iraqi man standing in front of a poster of researcher Hisham al-Hashimi, who was shot dead in Baghdad in July 2020 (AP)
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Confession in Hisham al-Hashimi Killing Sparks Outrage in Iraq

File photo shows an Iraqi man standing in front of a poster of researcher Hisham al-Hashimi, who was shot dead in Baghdad in July 2020 (AP)
File photo shows an Iraqi man standing in front of a poster of researcher Hisham al-Hashimi, who was shot dead in Baghdad in July 2020 (AP)

A leaked video showing the confession of the man accused of killing prominent Iraqi researcher Hisham al-Hashimi has reignited public scrutiny of the 2020 assassination and raised fresh questions about those behind the killing and the judiciary's handling of the case.

The video, widely circulated among Iraqi users on X, shows Ahmed Hamdawi Owaid detailing his role in the drive-by shooting that claimed al-Hashimi’s life outside his home in Baghdad’s Zayouna district.

The clip sparked a torrent of commentary on social media, with many Iraqis criticizing both armed factions and the judiciary.

Speculation swirled over who leaked the interrogation footage, which appears to have come from a police officer, and what their motives were. Many believe the leak was a calculated move by opponents of both the judiciary and powerful militias, reflecting the deep divisions between Iraq’s ruling forces, armed groups, and judicial authorities.

In the video, Hamdawi names senior Kataib Hezbollah figure and current lawmaker Hussein Moanes as the one who ordered the hit, a revelation seen as a direct blow to the Iran-aligned militia. Moanes, also known by his alias Abu Ali al-Askari, recently lashed out at calls to disarm armed factions.

Al-Askari had operated anonymously on X for years before al-Hashimi revealed his identity weeks ahead of his assassination, linking him to Moanes, a move that some now view as a possible trigger for the killing.

While some outlets quoted Moanes denying involvement, the Sabereen News channel, which is affiliated with armed groups, said he has not issued any official response.

Judiciary Under Fire

The leak has placed Iraq’s judiciary under renewed scrutiny, particularly after it released Hamdawi in March 2024 for “lack of evidence” despite his recorded confession and detailed description of the crime.

Rather than addressing the inconsistencies surrounding Hamdawi’s release, Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council issued a statement condemning the leak, calling it illegal and an attempt to mislead public opinion.

The council confirmed that Hamdawi had been detained under Order No. 29, which established a committee led by former intelligence officer Abu Ragheef during Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s tenure.

The statement added that Hamdawi gave different testimony before the judicial committee than what he said in the leaked video.

The Abu Ragheef committee had previously faced criticism from armed faction-aligned figures, and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ultimately disbanded it in 2022 after assuming office.

The judiciary noted that the leaked video was likely filmed by a police officer on the committee, and that its publication violated legal investigative procedures.

Calls for Justice Persist

It remains unclear whether the new evidence will lead to a retrial. Hamdawi was reinstated as a police officer after his acquittal, and a leaked document suggests he was included in the Interior Ministry’s annual promotions list.

Judicial sources say a retrial is unlikely given the political pressure on the courts and resistance from influential factions to reopening the case.

Al-Hashimi, an expert on extremist groups and a government advisor, was gunned down on July 6, 2020. Days later, Kadhimi announced the arrest of the suspects, including Hamdawi, whose initial confession was broadcast on state television.

Despite multiple court hearings beginning in September 2021, the judiciary postponed the verdict in six separate sessions before ultimately releasing him in late 2022. The delays fueled suspicions among activists and civil society groups that political pressure was exerted to secure Hamdawi’s release.

Five years on, al-Hashimi’s murder remains unsolved, and his killers have yet to face justice.