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.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.