US Congressional Delegation Visits Khartoum, Backs Transition

President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan meets a US delegation in Khartoum on Tuesday (SUNA)
President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan meets a US delegation in Khartoum on Tuesday (SUNA)
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US Congressional Delegation Visits Khartoum, Backs Transition

President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan meets a US delegation in Khartoum on Tuesday (SUNA)
President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan meets a US delegation in Khartoum on Tuesday (SUNA)

Two high-ranking US officials said on Tuesday their visit to Khartoum aims at expressing support for the transition in Sudan and to follow up on Washington’s decision to make another $700 million available until Sept 2022 for assistance to the country.

Senator Chris Van Hollen and Senator Christopher Coons, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, arrived in Khartoum Monday on a two-day visit.

They met with President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and a number of ministers to discuss tension on the border between Sudan and Ethiopia and obstacles in the negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

“During talks with Hamdok, the US delegation expressed its deep concern over the tension on border issues between Sudan and Ethiopia and its repercussions on both countries,” Cabinet Affairs Minister Khalid Omer Yousif told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The US officials said Washington was willing to mediate in the dispute and contribute to reaching a peaceful agreement that meets the interests of all parties.

The minister said the senators also discussed US development aid to Sudan.

Following talks with the PM, he invited them to an Iftar, Yousif said.

The US delegation also discussed with the PM ways of boosting bilateral relations between the two countries.

Also on Tuesday, the delegation met with Burhan, who briefed them on Sudan’s vision to resolve differences on GERD through dialogue and on the border dispute with neighboring Ethiopia.

He also stressed the importance of allowing aid groups to provide services to Ethiopian refugees in eastern Sudan camps.

The two senators, which are expected to visit the camps on Wednesday, commended the role of the TSC President in leading the transition in Sudan.



Weaponization of Food in Gaza Constitutes War Crime, UN Rights Office Says

A tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches among the ruins of buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardments in west of Gaza City, Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
A tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches among the ruins of buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardments in west of Gaza City, Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
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Weaponization of Food in Gaza Constitutes War Crime, UN Rights Office Says

A tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches among the ruins of buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardments in west of Gaza City, Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
A tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches among the ruins of buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardments in west of Gaza City, Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

The UN human rights office said on Tuesday that the "weaponization" of food for civilians in Gaza constitutes a war crime, in its strongest remarks yet on a new model of aid distribution run by an Israeli-backed organization.

Over 410 people have been killed by gunshots or shells fired by the Israeli military while trying to reach distribution sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation since it began work in late May, UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters at a Geneva press briefing.

The death toll has been independently verified by his office, he added.

"Desperate, hungry people in Gaza continue to face the inhumane choice of either starving to death or risk being killed while trying to get food," he said, describing the system as "Israel's militarized humanitarian assistance mechanism".

"The weaponization of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime and, under certain circumstances, may constitute elements of other crimes under international law."

Asked whether Israel was guilty of that war crime, he said: "The legal qualification needs to be made by a court of law."

Israel rejects war crimes charges in Gaza and blames Hamas fighters for harm to civilians for operating among them, which the fighters deny.