Juba Hosts Peace Deal to End Years of Conflict in Sudan

Hamdouk met Friday with President of South Sudan State, Salva Kiir at the Presidential Palace in Juba (Suna news agency)
Hamdouk met Friday with President of South Sudan State, Salva Kiir at the Presidential Palace in Juba (Suna news agency)
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Juba Hosts Peace Deal to End Years of Conflict in Sudan

Hamdouk met Friday with President of South Sudan State, Salva Kiir at the Presidential Palace in Juba (Suna news agency)
Hamdouk met Friday with President of South Sudan State, Salva Kiir at the Presidential Palace in Juba (Suna news agency)

Juba is preparing to embrace Saturday a landmark achievement in the history of Sudan when the government and rebel forces sign a final peace deal aimed at resolving decades of regional conflicts which left millions displaced and hundreds of thousands dead.

The city turned Friday into a beehive to welcome tens of leaderships and officials invited to witness the historic event.

Juba will host popular concerts and carnivals to celebrate the peace deal.

South Sudanese Chief Mediator in the Sudanese peace talks in Juba Presidential Adviser Tut Gatluak said the final signing of Juba peace agreement between the Sudanese parties would be attended by a number of heads of state and government and representatives of the African Union and the United Nations.

On Friday, a delegation arrived in Juba from Khartoum headed by President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Fattah Al-Burhan, and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdouk.

The ceremony will also be attended by neighboring and sisterly countries that contributed to the peace process in its various stages, including leaders from Kenya, Ethiopia, Chad, and Egypt.

In Riyadh, reports said that Saudi Arabia would attend the signing of the peace deal on Saturday through its Minister of State for African Affairs Ambassador Ahmed Kattan, representing Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Gatluak affirmed in a press conference he held in Juba that all preparations have been completed for celebrating the final signing of the peace agreement between the Sudanese government and the Revolutionary Front next Saturday.

Three major groups signed a preliminary deal in August - two factions from the western region of Darfur and one from the southern region - after months of peace talks hosted by neighboring South Sudan.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, which had not participated in initial peace negotiations, agreed last month to hold new talks hosted by South Sudan.

Gatluak told Reuters ahead of Saturday’s ceremony in Juba that the goal is to sign deals with all armed groups.

Following his arrival in Juba Friday, Hamdouk held a series of meetings with leaders of the armed movements.

He also sat down with President of South Sudan State, Salva Kiir at the Presidential Palace in Juba to discussed progress of the bilateral relations and ways of cementing them for the interest of the two peoples.

The deal sets out terms to integrate rebels into the security forces, be politically represented, and have economic and land rights. A new fund will pay $750 million a year for 10 years to the impoverished southern and western regions and the chance of return for displaced people is also guaranteed.



Lebanon's Salam Calls for 'Full Israeli Withdrawal' while Visiting Border Areas

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam checks a map surrounded by Lebanese army soldiers as he visits the sourthern village of Khiam near the border with Israel, on February 28, 2025. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam checks a map surrounded by Lebanese army soldiers as he visits the sourthern village of Khiam near the border with Israel, on February 28, 2025. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)
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Lebanon's Salam Calls for 'Full Israeli Withdrawal' while Visiting Border Areas

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam checks a map surrounded by Lebanese army soldiers as he visits the sourthern village of Khiam near the border with Israel, on February 28, 2025. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam checks a map surrounded by Lebanese army soldiers as he visits the sourthern village of Khiam near the border with Israel, on February 28, 2025. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)

Lebanon’s new prime minister, Nawaf Salam, used a tour on Friday of areas near the border with Israel that suffered wide destruction during the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war to call for an Israeli withdrawal and promised residents of border villages a safe return to their homes and reconstruction.
Salam's visit came two days after his government won a vote of confidence in parliament.
“This is the first real working day of the government. We salute the army and its martyrs,” Salam said in the southern port city of Tyre while meeting residents of the border village of Dheira. “We promise you a safe return to your homes as soon as possible.”
The government is committed to the reconstruction of destroyed homes, which “is not a promise but a personal commitment by myself and the government,” Salam added.
Israel withdrew its troops from much of the border area earlier this month, but left five outlooking posts inside Lebanon, in what Lebanese officials called a violation of the US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect on Nov. 27, ending the war.
Salam said his government is gathering Arab and international support in order “to force the enemy to withdraw from our occupied lands and the so-called five points.”
“There is no real and lasting stability without full Israeli withdrawal,” he said.
During his tour, Salam -- who also visited the southern cities of Marjayoun and Nabatiyeh — praised the UN peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL.
In mid-February, UNIFIL’s outgoing deputy commander was injured when Hezbollah-linked protesters attacked a convoy taking peacekeepers to the Beirut airport.
On Friday, three judicial officials told The Associated Press that 26 people have been charged in the attack on UNIFIL, including five who are in detention and the rest remain at large.
The officials said 26 have were charged late Thursday by the Military Court’s Government Commissioner Judge Fadi Akiki with terrorism, undermining state authority, robbery and forming a gang to carry out evil acts. The judicial officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said those charged could get up to life in prison.
The officials also said that a bag was stolen from UNIFIL’s convoy that had about $30,000 in cash and that the money is still missing.