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Damascus Raises Putin Road Signs Despite Economic Turmoil

A picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military team in the streets of Damascus (The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)
A picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military team in the streets of Damascus (The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)
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Damascus Raises Putin Road Signs Despite Economic Turmoil

A picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military team in the streets of Damascus (The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)
A picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military team in the streets of Damascus (The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)

The Damascus Chamber of Industry has expressed its support for the Russian army in its war against Ukraine by setting up road signs bearing the picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin across the Syrian capital.

"We support Russia- Victory to Russia – Justice prevails" is the slogan that was inscribed on the road signs.

In a Sunday Facebook post, the Chamber said that "time was right" to announce its stand in solidarity with Moscow because "Russia's leadership, army and people have long stood by Syria."

Some pictures show Putin with his defense minister and army chief of staff, while in other pictures, Putin appears alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

A UK-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and several Syrian news websites reported the installation of the road signs and published samples of Putin's photos.

The Chamber celebrating Russia and its president comes at a time when a severe economic crisis is sweeping livelihoods in Syria, where regime-controlled areas are suffering the loss of essential commodities and medicines. Moreover, Syria's national currency had plummeted to a new low against foreign currencies.

Hikes in prices of basics and the depreciation of the Syrian pound had worsened with Russia waging its war against Ukraine on February 24.

Samer Al-Debs, who is considered one of the economic fronts of the Syrian regime, heads the Chamber. US sanctions were issued against him in 2016.

Markets within regime-controlled areas are witnessing great confusion, affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the economic sanctions imposed on Russia.

According to Observatory activists, sugar and oil have been lost in Syrian markets where sales are going down as a result of price hikes.

Prices of medicines also increased by up to 50%. Some drugs have gone missing from pharmacies as well.

Missing drugs include ibuprofen and medicines for chronic diseases treating patients with heart problems, epilepsy, diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis.

Another commodity missing from Syrian markets is baby formula.

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Arab World

Sudan Army Says Recaptures Key State Capital

Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP
Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP
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Sudan Army Says Recaptures Key State Capital

Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP
Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP

The Sudanese army said Saturday it had retaken a key state capital south of Khartoum from rival Rapid Support Forces who had held it for the past five months.

The Sennar state capital of Sinja is a strategic prize in the 19-month-old war between the regular army and the RSF as it lies on a key road linking army-controlled areas of eastern and central Sudan.

It posted footage on social media that it said had been filmed inside the main base in the city.

"Sinja has returned to the embrace of the nation," the information minister of the army-backed government, Khaled al-Aiser, said in a statement.

Aiser's office said armed forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had travelled to the city of Sennar, 60 kilometres (40 miles) to the north, on Saturday to "inspect the operation and celebrate the liberation of Sinja", AFP reported.

The RSF had taken the two cities in a lightning offensive in June that saw nearly 726,000 civilians flee, according to UN figures.

Human rights groups have said that those who were unwilling or unable to leave have faced months of arbitrary violence by RSF fighters.

Sinja teacher Abdullah al-Hassan spoke of his "indescribable joy" at seeing the army enter the city after "months of terror".

"At any moment, you were waiting for militia fighters to barge in and beat you or loot you," the 53-year-old told AFP by telephone.

Both sides in the Sudanese conflict have been accused of war crimes, including indiscriminately shelling homes, markets and hospitals.

The RSF has also been accused of summary executions, systematic sexual violence and rampant looting.

The RSF control nearly all of the vast western region of Darfur as well as large swathes of Kordofan in the south. They also hold much of the capital Khartoum and the key farming state of Al-Jazira to its south.

Since April 2023, the war has killed tens of thousands of people and uprooted more than 11 million -- creating what the UN says is the world's largest displacement crisis.

From the eastern state of Gedaref -- where more than 1.1 million displaced people have sought refuge -- Asia Khedr, 46, said she hoped her family's ordeal might soon be at an end.

"We'll finally go home and say goodbye to this life of displacement and suffering," she told AFP.