Sudan Security Forces Clash with Protesters in Khartoum

Protesters are seen in Khartoum on Tuesday. (AFP)
Protesters are seen in Khartoum on Tuesday. (AFP)
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Sudan Security Forces Clash with Protesters in Khartoum

Protesters are seen in Khartoum on Tuesday. (AFP)
Protesters are seen in Khartoum on Tuesday. (AFP)

Sudanese protesters tried to march onto the presidential palace in Khartoum on Tuesday but were intercepted by security forces, who fired tear gas to disperse them.

Sudan’s security forces blocked some bridges linking the three cities of the capital (Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman), ahead of the resistance committees’ calls for a million-strong march to protest the deteriorating economic conditions.

The police were also deployed at the main entrances leading to central Khartoum.

A large crowd of protesters in Omdurman marched on the parliament but riot police dispersed them with excessive force.

The resistance committees leading the popular movement had called for uniting efforts against the oppressive economic policies, demanding an end to military rule and the establishment of a country of freedom, peace, dignity, and justice.

Meanwhile, a high-ranking delegation of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) arrived in South Sudan's capital Juba to discuss the framework agreement reached last month and the latest developments in Sudan.

This visit is part of a trip that includes a number of Arab and African countries, and is the FCC’s first foreign tour.

The delegation will meet with South Sudan President Salva Kiir and other officials, according to a statement issued by the FFC foreign relations committee.

The FFC stressed the significance of cooperation with the government of South Sudan in order to contribute effectively to the political process.

This would accelerate the civil democratic transformation and reinforce rapprochement and integration between both fraternal states, added the statement.



UN Calls for 'Immediate Deescalation' in Libyan Capital

Man waving the Libyan flag - File Photo/AFP
Man waving the Libyan flag - File Photo/AFP
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UN Calls for 'Immediate Deescalation' in Libyan Capital

Man waving the Libyan flag - File Photo/AFP
Man waving the Libyan flag - File Photo/AFP

The UN mission in Libya called for "immediate deescalation", citing reports of armed forces being mobilized in the capital and its surroundings that have raised fears of renewed violence.

In mid-May, there were clashes in Tripoli between forces loyal to the government and powerful armed groups wanting to dismantle it.

In a statement published late on Wednesday on X, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said there were "increased reports of continued military build-up in and around Tripoli", AFP reported.

It said it "strongly urges all parties to refrain from using force, particularly in densely populated areas, and to avoid any actions or political rhetoric that could trigger escalation or lead to renewed clashes".

It called for all parties to "engage in good faith" in deescalation and for the "swift implementation of security arrangements" set out during efforts to end the May violence.

Those clashes left six people dead, the United Nations said.

"Forces recently deployed in Tripoli must withdraw without delay," UNSMIL said.

Libya has been gripped by conflict since the 2011 overthrow and killing of longtime ruler Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising.

The country remains split between Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah's UN-recognized government based in Tripoli and a rival administration based in the east.

In a TV interview on Monday, Dbeibah called for armed groups to vacate the areas under their control.

Among the sites held by armed factions are the Mitiga airport in the east of the capital, which is controlled by the powerful Radaa Force.

"Dialogue -- not violence -- remains the only viable path toward achieving lasting peace, stability in Tripoli and across Libya", the UNSMIL statement said.