Sudan Launches Workshop on Transitional Constitutional Framework

Sudan's military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. (EPA)
Sudan's military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. (EPA)
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Sudan Launches Workshop on Transitional Constitutional Framework

Sudan's military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. (EPA)
Sudan's military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. (EPA)

The Sudanese Bar Association organized on Monday a workshop on the transitional constitutional framework at a time when multiple initiatives have been trying to resolve the political crisis in the North African nation.

The three-day workshop will be followed by the formation of a mechanism that will draft the transitional constitution, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

According to observers, the workshop is a continuation of the dialogue between civilian and military authorities in Sudan.

It is expected to focus on addressing the tasks entrusted to authorities in the transitional period, the duration of the transitional government, and transitional structures.

It will also tackle defining the role of the military and security institutions during the transitional period.

The Popular Congress Party, founded by late Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi, the Democratic Unionist Party, led by Muhammad Othman al-Mirghani, and resistance committees and civil society organizations are participating in the workshop.

Key opposition parties are also taking part. They include the Republican Party and the National Umma Party.

From the international community, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Sudan and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes, representatives from the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the European Union were attending.

The workshop also saw the participation of the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, and the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Sudan.



Israel Using Developments in Sweida to Keep its New Occupation in Syria

Israeli troops patrol the border fence with Syria near the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights on July 23, 2025. (AFP)
Israeli troops patrol the border fence with Syria near the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights on July 23, 2025. (AFP)
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Israel Using Developments in Sweida to Keep its New Occupation in Syria

Israeli troops patrol the border fence with Syria near the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights on July 23, 2025. (AFP)
Israeli troops patrol the border fence with Syria near the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights on July 23, 2025. (AFP)

The Israeli government is using the armed clashes in Sweida to establish a new form of control in southern Syria, political sources in Tel Aviv told the Israel Hayom newspaper.

“The government claims its presence in Sweida is vital for Israel's security and for the protection of the Druze and a source of stability in southern Syria,” the sources said.

According to the newspaper, which is aligned with the hardline government, the US administration is aware of Israel’s role and is cooperating with the government in Tel Aviv to carry out a hostage deal between Druze and Bedouin groups in Syria.

“In recent days, an unnamed senior Israeli official has been involved in prisoner swap talks between Druze and Bedouin groups in Syria, aiming to free hundreds of captives from both sides,” the newspaper reported.

Israel is communicating with the Druze, while American mediators are talking to the Bedouins and the Syrian government, it revealed.

The recent violence in Sweida, where Druze were attacked, strengthens Israel’s view that it needs to control a buffer zone in Syria, Israel Hayom wrote.

“This is to prevent Islamist groups from targeting Israeli communities, especially since Israel’s intelligence didn’t foresee the recent attacks.”

It said the need for buffer zones along all Israeli borders has become a key security concern since the October 7, 2023, attacks.

“Israel’s main goal is to reduce tensions in Syria, though any calm is likely to be temporary,” high-ranking Israeli officials told the newspaper.

The officials also argue that the violence in Sweida highlights the need for Israel to maintain a military presence in the buffer zones, which Israeli forces controlled last December.

They noted that Israeli intelligence had no advance warning that hostile forces - first Syrian regime elements, then Bedouin fighters - were planning to attack the Druze.

Therefore, the sources said, it is still unconfirmed that Israel has information about “Islamist” factions trying to reach an Israeli town.

“We will not risk waiting for things to happen, and we must always act proactively, so as not to fall victim again,” they said.

In recent days, several Israeli officials have been making threats against Syria.

During the rare “multi-front situational assessment” at the Glilot intelligence base — the first of its kind in nearly two years — Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the army “is required to operate offensively on multiple fronts alongside vital defense in each sector and on the borders,” adding that the Israeli forces will “continue to preserve air superiority and advance the intelligence effort.”

Meanwhile, the Syria TV channel said that “an Israeli occupation patrol of three vehicles infiltrated on Wednesday morning into the Sayda Al-Hanout town in southern Quneitra countryside.”

Local sources said the Israeli forces advanced toward the village, set up a temporary checkpoint on the main road, and deployed around a former Syrian military site in the area.