Sudan’s Burhan Demands UK Apologizes for ‘Colonial Crimes’

General Abdul Fattah Burhan, AFP
General Abdul Fattah Burhan, AFP
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Sudan’s Burhan Demands UK Apologizes for ‘Colonial Crimes’

General Abdul Fattah Burhan, AFP
General Abdul Fattah Burhan, AFP

Sudan’s military ruler, General Abdul Fattah Burhan, said on Tuesday that Britain must apologize for what he labeled as “colonial crimes” committed during British rule of the North African nation.

Burhan vowed to preserve the unity of the military establishment in Sudan and warned against attempts to spread sedition among the country’s armed forces.

He made his remarks during a speech marking the 124th anniversary of the 1898 Battle of Omdurman.

In Sudan the battle is known as the Battle of Kerreri, after the village west of Omdurman where it took place.

“What the colonizer’s army did was a crime against humanity. Perpetrators deserve to be held accountable,” said Burhan, adding that British soldiers had continued to kill and commit horrific crimes for four days after the battle had ended.

Sudan’s ousted president, Omar al-Bashir, had also demanded in April 2008 that Britain and Western countries apologize to the African peoples for the massacres they committed in Sudan, Algeria, and other countries.

Bashir also demanded that the UK and Western countries return wealth they looted from African nations.

Burhan denounced “the silence about the demand for retribution for the Kerreri martyrs.”

He called on Britain to provide compensation for “the families of the martyrs and the Sudanese people who were deliberately killed.”

“What happened amounts to genocide and ethnic cleansing," he stressed.

Burhan accused unnamed parties of seeking to eliminate the Sudanese state, by provoking tribal fighting and regional wars and questioning the leadership of the army.

“No one will be able to dismantle the military institution, and it will remain cohesive and strong with its unity,” affirmed Burhan.

“The military institution's exit from politics does not mean that it will allow others to do what they want in it,” he stressed.



Israeli Military Says it Struck 'Key' Hamas Figure in Lebanon's Tripoli

People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh
People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh
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Israeli Military Says it Struck 'Key' Hamas Figure in Lebanon's Tripoli

People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh
People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh

The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had struck "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, the first targeted killing in the area for several months.

In a statement, Israel's military did not give the identity of the targeted person. There was no immediate comment from Hamas.

Lebanese state media said a car had been hit near Tripoli and the health ministry reported two people were killed and three others wounded, without identifying them, Reuters reported.

Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups maintain a presence in various areas of Lebanon, mostly in camps that have housed displaced Palestinians for decades.

Since Hamas' cross-border attack from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel in 2023, Israel has carried out targeted strikes on Lebanese armed group Hezbollah as well as members of Palestinian factions in Lebanon.

Hamas' deputy chief was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs in early 2024, and other strikes hit Palestinian camps in northern Lebanon.

A US-brokered ceasefire last year ended the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, though Israel has continued to carry out strikes on what it says are Hezbollah arms depots and fighters, mostly in southern Lebanon.

Tuesday's strike near Tripoli was the first time a targeted assassination had taken place in the area since the truce.

Meanwhile, US envoy Thomas Barrack continued a two-day visit to Lebanon to discuss disarming Hezbollah and other militant groups.