Sudan Appoints New Director of General Intelligence

 Sudanese protesters against the military rule in Omdurman. (AFP)
Sudanese protesters against the military rule in Omdurman. (AFP)
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Sudan Appoints New Director of General Intelligence

 Sudanese protesters against the military rule in Omdurman. (AFP)
Sudanese protesters against the military rule in Omdurman. (AFP)

Sudans’s sovereign council has appointed Ahmed Mufaddal, formerly deputy director, as the new director of the general intelligence service, official sources told Reuters on Saturday.

This came as Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok Prime Minister said Saturday he has replaced the country’s police chiefs after at least 42 people were killed in a crackdown on protests following October’s military coup.

Military chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan seized power and detained Hamdok on October 25, but after international condemnation and mass protests he reinstated the premier in a November 21 deal.

Hamdok said he had sacked the director general of the police, Khaled Mahdi Ibrahim al-Emam, and his deputy Ali Ibrahim.

In their place, he appointed Anan Hamed Mohamed Omar with Abdelrahman Nasreddine Abdallah as his deputy, the premier said in a statement.

Medics have accused security forces of targeting protesters in the "head, neck and torso" with live ammunition, as well as with rubber-coated bullets and tear gas canisters.

The police have denied reports they opened fire using live bullets.

Dozens of political activists, journalists, protesters and bystanders watching the rallies have been arrested in recent weeks, and remain in custody.

Hamdok has recently stressed he partnered with the military in order to “stop the bloodshed”.



Germany Reopens Syria Embassy

A German and a European Union flags flutter at the German embassy, after it was reopened in Damascus, Syria, March 20, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
A German and a European Union flags flutter at the German embassy, after it was reopened in Damascus, Syria, March 20, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
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Germany Reopens Syria Embassy

A German and a European Union flags flutter at the German embassy, after it was reopened in Damascus, Syria, March 20, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
A German and a European Union flags flutter at the German embassy, after it was reopened in Damascus, Syria, March 20, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Germany reopened its embassy in Syria on Thursday, marking a revival of diplomatic ties under a new leadership in Damascus that is facing humanitarian and security problems as it tries to rebuild the country after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock oversaw the official resumption of operations at the embassy during a visit to the Syrian capital, officials from her delegation said.

Germany is home to a large Syrian population following an influx of refugees in the last decade, and has sought to send a message of cautious engagement with the new rulers while also urging respect for minorities' rights, Reuters reported.

The embassy has a small political team on the ground and will continue to expand its presence in line with the situation locally, the officials said.

Due to security concerns and limited space, visa and consular matters would continue to be handled from Beirut in neighboring Lebanon, they added.

Baerbock first met Syria's new de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa at the start of the year, one month after opposition group led by his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) toppled President Assad following more than 13 years of civil war.

Earlier this month, clashes between Assad loyalists and the country's new rulers killed more than 1,000 people, mostly civilians, according to a war monitoring group.

German officials said they could play more of a role in stabilizing the country when located locally, adding that staff posted to Syria would develop diplomatic contacts and push for an inclusive political transition.