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UN, Germany Confirm Holding 2nd Int’l Summit on Libya

UN spokesman Farhan Haq - AFP
UN spokesman Farhan Haq - AFP
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UN, Germany Confirm Holding 2nd Int’l Summit on Libya

UN spokesman Farhan Haq - AFP
UN spokesman Farhan Haq - AFP

Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday that UN and German officials are actively preparing for holding a second international summit on Libya in October.

Despite preparations being still underway, a German source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the conference has been slotted for October 5, 2020.

“The German government and the United Nations have announced an online summit for Libya, scheduled for October 5,” DPA news agency reported.

The meeting will include Guterres, foreign ministers, and representatives of the warring parties in Libya, as well as representatives from Germany and the UN, the US, Britain, France, China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Congo, Italy, Egypt and Algeria as well as the European Union, the African Union and the Arab League.

The meeting comes after Berlin organized a summit in January, where parties agreed to stop supplying weapons to the warring factions.

In other news, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Thursday welcomed the decision by Prime Minister of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez Al-Sarraj on his intention to resign and hand over power to the next executive authority by the end of next October.

Acting Special Representative of UN Secretary General Stephanie Williams praised as "brave" the decision taken by Sarraj.

Sarraj's announcement is a "crucial" step in the protracted Libyan crisis, the Mission quoted Williams as saying in a statement.

She said the concerned Libyan parties should fully assume their responsibilities before the Libyans, make "historic" decisions and accept mutual concessions for the sake of their homeland.

She stressed that the recent meetings among the Libyan parties in Switzerland, Egypt and Morocco are an opportunity for resuming the intra-Libyan political talks.

She urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities, respect Libya's sovereignty, stop interfering in the country's internal affairs and fully adhere to the arms embargo imposed by the UN, according to the statement.

On Wednesday, Al-Sarraj declared his intention to step down and hand over power by the end of next October to help the dialogue committee complete measures to get out of the Libyan security and political crisis. He also welcomed the outcomes of the UN-brokered negotiations.

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Sudan War Intensifies Across Kordofan’s Three States

War between the army and Rapid Support Forces has destroyed much of Sudan’s infrastructure. (AFP)
War between the army and Rapid Support Forces has destroyed much of Sudan’s infrastructure. (AFP)
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Sudan War Intensifies Across Kordofan’s Three States

War between the army and Rapid Support Forces has destroyed much of Sudan’s infrastructure. (AFP)
War between the army and Rapid Support Forces has destroyed much of Sudan’s infrastructure. (AFP)

Fighting between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has flared in the central Kordofan region, home to some of the country’s largest oil fields, including Heglig, Abu Jabra, and Balila.

The city of El-Obeid, the region’s largest urban center and capital of North Kordofan, was hit by drone strikes early Monday, triggering panic among residents. Multiple sites were targeted in the attack, which comes amid escalating clashes and troop build-ups across the region’s three states.

Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that drones struck the eastern neighborhood of Al-Radeef, wounding several civilians. One source said a drone was spotted flying over the Sudanese army’s 5th Infantry Division.

The battlefront shifted westward to Kordofan following the army’s full takeover of the capital Khartoum, where the conflict had raged since breaking out more than two years ago. Now, the three Kordofan states, North, South and West, are the focus of renewed violence as both parties vie for control.

The RSF has stepped up its offensive in Sudan’s North Kordofan, targeting the strategic city of El-Obeid with drone strikes as part of a broader push following the withdrawal of army troops and allied forces from nearby towns, including Al-Khuwei, Al-Debeibat and Al-Hammadi.

The RSF’s maneuvers have allowed it to surround El-Obeid from three directions, exposing significant vulnerabilities in the army’s air defense systems. The latest attack underscores the RSF’s increasing reliance on combat drones, which have been deployed in several battles across the Kordofan region in recent weeks.

Military sources said the nearest RSF-controlled area is the town of Bara, less than 50 kilometers northeast of El-Obeid. The paramilitary group is also reported to have a strong presence in Al-Khuwei, Al-Hammadi, and Kazgeil, all located near the embattled city.

In West Kordofan, fierce clashes continue in the town of Babanusa, where the Sudanese army’s 22nd Infantry Division is headquartered. The division has lost control of three key garrisons in Al-Nuhud, Al-Fula, and the oil-rich area of Heglig amid the RSF’s westward advances.

The RSF said on Monday it now controls the entire town of Babanusa in West Kordofan and is encircling the 22nd Infantry Division from multiple directions, claiming the fall of the strategic town is “only a matter of time.”

Babanusa lies along the key Western Salvation Road, a vital artery linking the capital Khartoum to the Kordofan and Darfur regions. Control of the route has become a major objective for both sides: the army views it as a pathway for advancing into Darfur, while the RSF sees it as a forward defensive line and potential springboard for a renewed push on Khartoum.

West Kordofan, which borders South Sudan and contains most of Sudan’s oil fields, has emerged as one of the fiercest battlegrounds in the war. The state includes around 15 localities and has seen intensifying combat as both sides vie for control of critical infrastructure and territory.

Meanwhile, the army is attempting to drive the RSF out of northern and southern pockets of the state to lift the siege on South Kordofan.

In South Kordofan, clashes have intensified between the army, the RSF, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu. The army briefly regained control of the towns of Al-Debeibat and Al-Hammadi in an effort to relieve pressure on Dilling and Kadugli, but the RSF later retook the areas, prolonging the deadlock in the region.

Sudanese army forces are fending off ongoing attempts by the RSF to storm El-Fasher, the largest city in the Darfur region, a senior military official said.

Major General Mohamed Ahmed Al-Khader, commander of the army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the military has been repelling RSF assaults on the city for over a year.

Witnesses told Asharq Al-Awsat that army units have launched targeted operations around El-Fasher to push back RSF fighters from the city’s outskirts.