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US Stresses Need for Constitutional Basis for Libyan Elections

The signing ceremony of the agreement between the Libyan and US company in Tripoli (Libyan government)
The signing ceremony of the agreement between the Libyan and US company in Tripoli (Libyan government)
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US Stresses Need for Constitutional Basis for Libyan Elections

The signing ceremony of the agreement between the Libyan and US company in Tripoli (Libyan government)
The signing ceremony of the agreement between the Libyan and US company in Tripoli (Libyan government)

US Ambassador Richard Norland has encouraged all Libyan leaders to work together and make the necessary compromises to meet the people’s expectation of free and fair elections, an essential step towards a stable, unified and democratic Libya.

Norland, who visited Tripoli for the first time since he assumed his position, stressed that time is crucial and asserted that Libyan leaders need to make critical preparations to ensure successful national elections in December, including determining a constitutional basis and the election law that will govern them.

He held talks with head of the Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibeh bilateral relations, US support to complete the government’s work, the budget and the path to the elections.

Norland also attended a signing ceremony for a new 5G telecommunications contract between Libyan company Hatif and US company Infinera.

He said that this new collaboration is an example that shows how improving stability and political progress can lead to job creation and economic benefits for the Libyan people.

Meanwhile, a committee of nine members of the House of Representatives kicked off meetings in Rome on Monday on adopting the legal framework for the elections. Heald in the presence of the UN mission and the High National Elections Commission, the talks will continue until July 29.

Parliamentary spokesman Abdullah Blehik said the meeting would include representatives from across Libya and members of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

The UNSMIL hoped this effort and the work of the HoR committee would result in establishing a legal framework and additional momentum for holding inclusive, accessible and fair parliamentary and presidential elections on December 24.

The role of UNSMIL during this meeting will be to provide technical support and advice to the HoR Committee and the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) in developing draft electoral laws based on UN principles of electoral assistance and human rights principles.

The UNSMIL stressed the importance of an inclusive electoral process and including the High Council of State in the preparation of the electoral laws, including during the meeting in Rome, in line with relevant provisions of the Libyan Political Agreement and the Tunis Roadmap regarding the preparation of the electoral legislation.

UNSMIL urged the HoR and the High Council of State to act in goodwill towards these objectives and to coordinate in line with the relevant provisions of the Libyan Political Agreement.

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Heavy Rains Flood Khartoum Streets, Exposing Decomposed Bodies

A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Heavy Rains Flood Khartoum Streets, Exposing Decomposed Bodies

A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Torrential rains battered several parts of Sudan’s Khartoum state this week, flooding residential neighborhoods and streets, disrupting movement, and sweeping away war debris, including decomposed corpses believed to belong to paramilitary fighters.

The rainfall began as sanitation workers were carrying out maintenance on stormwater drains. But before completing their task, the downpour caught them off guard, forcing them to begin draining the water with basic tools already in use.

Local authorities said residents in the East Nile district reported seeing decomposed bodies swept into drainage canals. Officials suspect the corpses may be those of fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which controlled swathes of the capital during its year-long war with the Sudanese army.

The RSF had held large parts of Khartoum since conflict erupted on April 15, 2023. But by March this year, the army claimed to have regained full control of the city. Since then, thousands of displaced families have returned home, according to state authorities, with more returning each day.

This year’s rainy season arrives amid the devastation of war, which has crippled already fragile infrastructure, particularly flood drainage systems. Even before the conflict, seasonal rains often caused widespread destruction in Khartoum, damaging homes and public facilities and resulting in casualties.

Despite extensive water pooling in open areas, Sudan’s Civil Defense Authority reported no fatalities or property losses. “Water was drained naturally, without any intervention from Civil Defense teams,” said Major General Qureshi, deputy director of emergency operations, in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Qureshi added that his teams remain on high alert, as a precaution, although Nile water levels remain stable.

Residents attempted to clear water from their homes by removing weeds and waste blocking drainage channels.

“During the RSF's control of the city, we tried to dig small trenches to divert the rainwater toward the main drains,” said resident Mohamed Elias. “But the blocked drains caused water to stagnate for months, leading to insect infestations and disease.”

Although thousands have returned to Khartoum, the national government has not fully re-established itself in the capital, which it fled in favor of Port Sudan, a Red Sea city now serving as a temporary seat of power. Khartoum’s governor, Ahmed Othman, previously told Asharq Al-Awsat that the government’s return to the capital would be gradual.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said over one million displaced Sudanese have returned to their areas of origin across the country, including in Khartoum.