Turkish Forces Supervise Training, Graduation of Batch of Libyan Officers  

Head of the Government of National Unity Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah. (Reuters)
Head of the Government of National Unity Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah. (Reuters)
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Turkish Forces Supervise Training, Graduation of Batch of Libyan Officers  

Head of the Government of National Unity Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah. (Reuters)
Head of the Government of National Unity Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah. (Reuters)

The Commander of the Turkish forces in Libya, Colonel Osman Itaj, and Muhammad Al-Haddad, the chief of staff of the forces loyal to Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah's Government of National Unity (GNU) attended on Friday the graduation ceremony of a new batch of infantry, artillery and armored school officers, after they received training by the Turkish army.  

Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff of the Land Forces announced his intention to form and build two infantry brigades and an artillery regiment, to boost the military.  

On a different note, Libya’s second vice-president, Abdallah El Lafi, arrived in Niamey on Friday participate in a summit on African industrialization and economic diversification.  

On Thursday, Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh announced that he met in the city of Al-Qubba, with Qatar’s ambassador, Khaled Al-Dosari, with whom he discussed bilateral relations, the latest developments on Libya, and means to end the Libyan crisis by holding elections.  

Al-Dosari was quoted as confirming his country’s support for Libya to overcome the current crisis, preserve the unity of the Libyan territory, support the political track, and hold free and fair elections based on consensus among Libyans.  

On the other hand, the Anti-Illegal Migration Authority in Libya organized, on Friday, land convoys to the eastern and southern borders of the country, to return more than 200 migrants to their countries of origin, in an unusual coordination between the divided authorities in eastern and western Libya.  

Since the beginning of this year and until last month, more than 20,000 migrants have been returned to Libya. While the fate of 714 migrants remains unknown, more than 400 drowned, according to the International Organization for Migration. Most of them cross Libya’s vast desert borders from Sudan, Chad, Niger and Egypt. 



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.