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US Official to Visit Tunisia to Support ‘Political and Economic Reforms’

Demonstrations in support of President Saied in the center of the capital (EPA)
Demonstrations in support of President Saied in the center of the capital (EPA)
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US Official to Visit Tunisia to Support ‘Political and Economic Reforms’

Demonstrations in support of President Saied in the center of the capital (EPA)
Demonstrations in support of President Saied in the center of the capital (EPA)

US Acting Assistant State Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Yael Lambert is scheduled to travel to Tunis on Saturday.

While in Tunisia, the Acting Assistant Secretary will meet with senior government officials and civil society representatives to discuss the US commitment to support the Tunisian people and the need for an inclusive and transparent political and economic reform process that represents diverse Tunisian voices.

The US official visited Tunisia in October and met with officials from the government.

However, Saturday’s visit comes days after Tunisian President Kais Saied appointed new members of the election commission, amid criticism by the opposition.

Some political parties and national figures have been skeptical about the transparency of the upcoming elections.

Farouk Bouasker, head of the election commission, declared that all the members took the oath before the president at Carthage Palace.

Lambert’s visit also comes amid concerns expressed by political and syndicate leaders regarding the national dialogue set to be held between the presidency and four social and rights organizations.

The United States is "deeply concerned" by the Tunisian president's decision to restructure the election authority in the country, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in April.

“A genuinely independent Election Authority is critical, given its constitutionally mandated role in Tunisia’s upcoming referendum and parliamentary elections,” Price added.

Tunisian opposition activists are calling for rallies against Saied on Sunday in Tunis.

The "Citizens Against the Coup" and the newly-established "National Salvation Front" groups are planning to stage the demonstrations to protest Saied’s continued power grab.

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Sudanese Army Recaptures Positions from RSF in El Fasher

Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
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Sudanese Army Recaptures Positions from RSF in El Fasher

Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)

The Sudanese army carried out a surprise military operation in the early hours of Saturday in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, regaining several positions in the city’s far southwest that it had previously abandoned to advancing Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Military sources reported that calm returned to El Fasher after intense clashes on Friday between the army and RSF fighters, who attempted a major offensive to deepen their hold inside the city. In a statement, the army said its Sixth Infantry Division successfully repelled a fresh RSF attack, inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment, and restored control over all frontline areas.

RSF militants had infiltrated southern neighborhoods, seizing the Central Security Reserve headquarters and the Shalla prison. According to army sources, these forces were pushed back through ground combat supported by extensive drone strikes, forcing them to retreat to their original positions. The sources confirmed there were no significant breakthroughs or territorial gains by the RSF following the operation.

In a statement on Saturday, Prime Minister Kamel Idris expressed “deep anger, pain, and responsibility” over the worsening humanitarian disaster in El Fasher. He condemned the “suffocating and inhumane siege imposed by the RSF militia,” describing it as “one of the most brutal cases of collective extortion and systematic starvation in recent history.”

Idris vowed that the government would not stand idly by in the face of this “atrocious” crime and pledged to use all political, diplomatic, and humanitarian means to break the siege and ensure urgent aid reaches civilians trapped in El Fasher amid widespread starvation and international silence.

He called on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, along with international and humanitarian organizations, to act immediately to pressure the militia to open humanitarian corridors and end the use of starvation as a weapon against civilians.

The prime minister highlighted the RSF’s refusal to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2736, which demands lifting the siege on El Fasher, and their rejection of UN calls for a humanitarian ceasefire. He held the militia responsible for obstructing aid and accountable for the ongoing starvation and terror inflicted on civilians.

Idris warned against silence over these crimes, including the killing of civilians fleeing the siege and bombardments. He also cited the systematic destruction of hospitals by RSF suicide drone and strategic attacks, threatening the lives of millions of innocent civilians.

“What is happening in El Fasher is a major crime committed in full view and hearing of the world,” he said, urging the international community to move beyond lukewarm statements to real action and pressure on those besieging, starving, and attacking civilians.

The RSF continues to attempt to seize the city and its army base, the last stronghold of government forces across all Darfur states. Military sources said defenders repelled the assault and inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers.

The RSF has maintained a tight siege on El Fasher since May 2024, blocking all roads and supply routes and preventing humanitarian aid from entering, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths from starvation and medical shortages.