US, UK Sanction 6 Syria-Linked Amphetamine Traffickers

The US Treasury Building in Washington, DC, USA, 13 March 2023. (EPA)
The US Treasury Building in Washington, DC, USA, 13 March 2023. (EPA)
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US, UK Sanction 6 Syria-Linked Amphetamine Traffickers

The US Treasury Building in Washington, DC, USA, 13 March 2023. (EPA)
The US Treasury Building in Washington, DC, USA, 13 March 2023. (EPA)

The US and UK on Tuesday slapped sanctions on four Syrians and two Lebanese involved in manufacturing and trafficking the amphetamine drug Captagon, the two governments said. The six include cousins of Syrian President Bashar Assad and notorious Lebanese drug lynchpins.

Experts say Captagon is primarily produced in Syria and Lebanon, where packages containing millions of pills are smuggled abroad. The trade allegedly has strong ties to Assad and his associates, as well as key ally, the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in neighboring Lebanon.

The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office statement announcing the sanctions said the Captagon industry is worth $57 billion to Assad, and has been a key source of revenue as Syria' uprising turned-conflict continues for a 13th year.

Assad's brutal crackdown on protests in 2011 led to his global isolation, and his forces were accused of rampant torture, bombing civilian infrastructure, and using chemical weapons with support of key allies Russia and Iran.

“Syria has become a global leader in the production of highly addictive Captagon, much of which is trafficked through Lebanon,” said the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control director Andrea M. Gacki in the statement.

Gacki added that the trade's revenues enable the government's “continued repression on the Syrian people.”

Among the four Syrians sanctioned are two cousins of Assad, Samer and Wassim. According to the US Treasury's statement, Samer oversees Captagon production in the northern coastal city of Latakia in coordination with Hezbollah and the Syrian army's elite Fourth Division. Meanwhile, Wassim has been described as a “key figure in the regional drug trafficking network,” while also leading a paramilitary group backing the Syrian army in the conflict.

Meanwhile, Syrian businessman Khalid Qaddour was also sanctioned for his alleged involvement in managing smuggling revenues and allegedly has close ties to President Assad's brother Maher, who leads the Fourth Division and has allegedly profited off smuggling illicit drugs, mobile phones and cigarettes.

Syrian militiaman Imad Abu Zureik was also sanctioned for running a militia group with ties to Syrian military intelligence in the south of the country that the US Treasury said controls the Nassib border crossing with Jordan. Abu Zureik was a former commander with Free Syria Army opposition forces.

In Lebanon, Washington and London sanctioned notorious weapons and drug smuggler Noah Zeiter, who for years has been on the run from Lebanese authorities. Zeiter prior to the conflict in Syria was known for producing and smuggling large amounts of cannabis and made occasional bombastic media appearances. Zeiter is close with Hezbollah and Syria's Fourth Division.

Hassan Daqqou, a Lebanese-Syrian, who the media frequently dubs “The King of Captagon,” was also sanctioned due to his links with Hezbollah and drug trafficking operations by the Syrian army's Fourth Division. Daqqou was arrested in Lebanon in 2021 and in 2022 was sentenced to seven years of hard labor for producing and smuggling Captagon.

Washington and London also sanctioned two trading companies based in eastern Lebanon that Daqqou owns.



Syria and Iraq Assert Correlated Joint Security

Iraqi President Abdullatif Rashid received Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad (dpa)
Iraqi President Abdullatif Rashid received Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad (dpa)
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Syria and Iraq Assert Correlated Joint Security

Iraqi President Abdullatif Rashid received Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad (dpa)
Iraqi President Abdullatif Rashid received Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad (dpa)

The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, was invited Sunday to visit Syria to discuss prospects for bilateral cooperation and coordinate joint action toward consolidating security and stability in the region.

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, who is visiting Iraq, conveyed the invitation.

Mekdad stressed during his meeting with Sudani in Baghdad the importance of maintaining the unity of the Syrian territories and the interdependence of Iraqi national security with the security of Syria.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister's media office said the talks highlighted the need to promote bilateral relations.

The Foreign Minister expressed Syria's support for Iraq, reiterating its pivotal role in the region and efforts to consolidate the relationship between the Arab brothers and regional countries.

Mekdad indicated that Syria seeks joint action to face common challenges and cooperate in combating terrorism and eliminating the danger of drugs.

The top diplomat affirmed that Syria was looking forward to joint work with Iraq in combating terrorist organizations and their threats to common security with Iraq.

"We will continue to cooperate to combat terrorism and eliminate the danger posed by drugs,” he said.

During his visit to Baghdad, Mekdad also met his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein and discussed the issue of refugees. They also discussed the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

In a joint press conference at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, Mekdad said: "We believe in political, military, and economic coordination," stressing the need to end the imbalances that Syria faces amid the presence of terrorist organizations, namely ISIS-affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra in Idlib governorate.

Mekdad also praised Iraq for coming to the aid of Syria following the earthquake and thanked the Iraqi people for helping their "other half" in the country.

Iraqi support

Hussein reiterated that Syria's security directly affects Iraq's situation and vice versa.

The Iraqi official indicated that Iraq was among the Arab countries that called for Syria's return to the Arab League.

Drug trafficking issue

Hussein said Syria is going through challenging circumstances and needs action at the regional and international levels, stressing that the Syrian refugees are an integral part of this matter.

"We received about 250,000 refugees," said Hussein, adding that most of them live in camps in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region. He noted the ongoing discussions regarding the Syrian situation.

The Iraqi official explained that the meeting addressed the cooperation to fight cross-border drug trafficking.

Border control

Security expert Sarmad al-Bayati believed many security visions for border control were not applicable, noting that Iraq now controls 90 percent of its border.

Bayati told Asharq Al-Awsat that many areas within the Syrian border are not controlled by government forces, noting that the danger increases towards the north, as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) forces control many areas.

He explained that there were imbalances in implementing the visions, explaining that drug trafficking is a complicated issue amid various smuggling outlets across multiple border areas.

Head of the Republican Center for Strategic Studies, Moataz Mohieddin, said Mekdad's visit to Baghdad was important for both countries to limit infiltration of terrorists, noting that the Ministries of Defense and Interior must activate several agreements.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Mohieddin indicated that it was necessary to organize joint forces for the borders between Iraq and Syria, adding that it was crucial to establish electronic fences and control towers to monitor the territories.

 


Lebanon’s Opposition Announces Jihad Azour as its Presidential Candidate

MP Michel Mouawad holds a press conference with opposition lawmakers to announce his withdrawal from the presidential race. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
MP Michel Mouawad holds a press conference with opposition lawmakers to announce his withdrawal from the presidential race. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Lebanon’s Opposition Announces Jihad Azour as its Presidential Candidate

MP Michel Mouawad holds a press conference with opposition lawmakers to announce his withdrawal from the presidential race. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
MP Michel Mouawad holds a press conference with opposition lawmakers to announce his withdrawal from the presidential race. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Lebanese opposition announced on Sunday its nomination of former minister Jihad Azour as president. The Free Patriotic Movement also announced its support for Azour’s run.

A meeting of the parties endorsed the nomination of Azour, currently director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund.

Lebanon has had no head of state since President Michel Aoun's term ended at the end of October, deepening institutional paralysis in a country where one of the world's worst economic crises has been festering for years.

The nomination pits Azour against Marada movement leader Suleiman Franjieh, the candidate of the Shiite duo of Hezbollah and Amal, which is headed by parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Franjieh is an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with strong ties to the ruling political establishment in Damascus.

Lawmaker Michel Moawad, who had won the most votes in repeated unsuccessful presidential election votes, but not enough to win, said he had withdrawn his candidacy in favor of Azour.

“After intense contacts, we agreed on Jihad Azour as a centrist and non-provocative figure to any party in the country,” he added.

Opposition deputies said the consensus around Azour could help him garner the 65 votes needed in a secret ballot by lawmakers in the 128-member parliament to assume the post.

The opposition includes the Lebanese Forces, Kataeb and a number of independent lawmakers opposed to Hezbollah and to Franjieh’s nomination. The FPM, which is headed by MP Jebran Bassil, has joined them in opposing Franjieh’s bid.

Azour has not declared his own candidacy, but political sources say he has held discrete meetings with various parties and members of parliament to discuss his chances.

In his Sunday sermon, a few hours before Azour was backed by opposition MPs, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai said he welcomed “any step” towards ending the stalemate over the presidency.

Rai later revealed that he had met with Franjieh and dispatched and envoy to meet with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to break the presidential impasse, reported Al Jadeed television.

Hezbollah officials had accused those delaying Franjieh's nomination of prolonging the crisis and serving the West.

“This new candidate that was announced is for us a candidate for confrontation,” Hezbollah deputy Hassan Fadlallah said on Sunday, without naming Azour.

Washington has warned that the administration was considering sanctions on Lebanese officials for their continued obstruction of the election of a new president and warned the paralysis could only worsen the country's crisis.

Attention will now turn to Berri, who will be under pressure to call parliament to session to hold the elections. The speaker has repeatedly said he would only call the legislature to meet once “serious” candidates are available.

He had recently said he would decide what to do “once the opposition takes a clear stance over its candidate.”

Mowad had called on Berri to call parliament to session “immediately” and for successive elections to be held until a victor is declared.


Iraq: Parliament Likely to Adopt Budget Law after Secret Deal to Settle Kurdish Demands

A meeting between Iraq Parliament speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi and Head of the State of Law Coalition Nuri al-Maliki last month (Iraqi Parliament)
A meeting between Iraq Parliament speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi and Head of the State of Law Coalition Nuri al-Maliki last month (Iraqi Parliament)
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Iraq: Parliament Likely to Adopt Budget Law after Secret Deal to Settle Kurdish Demands

A meeting between Iraq Parliament speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi and Head of the State of Law Coalition Nuri al-Maliki last month (Iraqi Parliament)
A meeting between Iraq Parliament speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi and Head of the State of Law Coalition Nuri al-Maliki last month (Iraqi Parliament)

Iraqi political sources said that a “secret political agreement” was likely to speed up the adoption of the Iraqi budget next week.

According to the sources, Head of the State of Law Coalition Nuri al-Maliki highlighted technical and political issues in his address to the Coordination Framework regarding the budget, which have stalled the legislation process and sparked a dispute with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

Parliament’s Finance Committee had made surprise amendments on the draft budget late last month. Those included three items pertaining to the share of the Kurdistan region from oil and the export mechanism from its territory.

Parliament was preparing to hold a session to vote on the budget, last Saturday, according to its speaker, Mohammad al-Halbousi. But the new amendments renewed negotiations on the draft law.

The sources said that the former prime minister objected to the mechanisms for disbursing funds to the Kurdistan region, and expressed reservations over items, which he said could shake the power equation within the State Administration coalition, which includes, in addition to the coordination framework, Sunni and Kurdish forces.

In this context, the sources stressed that the controversy over the share of the Kurdistan region and the oil export mechanism has turned the agreement between the governments of Baghdad and Erbil into an understanding with explicit guarantees between the KDP and Al-Maliki.

The Kurds’ demands to restore the old version of the budget will be settled by a secret political agreement, with minor amendments that do not anger the leaders of the Coordination Framework, according to the sources.

A leader in the State Administration coalition expects that the vote on the country's general budget will be decided this week, as political actors are now convinced that the secret settlement is the only solution that the Framework can offer to its partners in the government.


50 Extremists, 168 Family Members Repatriated From Syria to Iraq

A member loyal to ISIS waves a flag in Raqqa, Syria June 29, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
A member loyal to ISIS waves a flag in Raqqa, Syria June 29, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
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50 Extremists, 168 Family Members Repatriated From Syria to Iraq

A member loyal to ISIS waves a flag in Raqqa, Syria June 29, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
A member loyal to ISIS waves a flag in Raqqa, Syria June 29, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Fifty ISIS militants and 168 Iraqi members of extremist families were repatriated from Syria to Iraq on Saturday, an Iraqi official said.

Iraqi authorities "received 50 members of the ISIS from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)", said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The SDF are the Kurds' de facto army in the area, and led the battle that dislodged ISIS group militants from the last scraps of their Syrian territory in 2019.

They will "be the subject of investigations and will face Iraqi justice", they added, AFP reported.

According to conflict monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights they were detained in Hasakah, northeast Syria.

Additionally, 168 relatives of ISIS-group members were repatriated from Syria's Al-Hol camp to be relocated to Al-Jadaa camp south of Mosul, the Iraqi official added, where they will undergo psychiatric treatment.

"Once we receive the assurances of their tribal leaders that they will not face reprisals, they will be sent home."

Al-Hol camp, in Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria, is home to about 50,000 people including family members of suspected jihadists.

Among them are displaced Syrians, Iraqi refugees as well as more than 10,000 foreigners originally from some 60 countries.

In March, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the swift repatriation of foreigners held in Al-Hol.

Nearly half of the camp's population is under the age of 12 and residents are "deprived of their rights, vulnerable, and marginalised", Guterres said in a statement during a visit to Iraq.

"I have no doubt to say that the worst camp that exists in today's world is Al-Hol, with the worst possible conditions for people and with enormous suffering for the people that have been stranded there for years," Guterres said.

Since May 2021, hundreds of families have been transferred from Al-Hol to Al-Jadaa in Iraq, with a number of those going on to flee.

The repatriation to Iraq of relatives of militants who joined the ultra-radical group that controlled one-third of Iraq between 2014 and 2017 has sparked opposition.

In December 2021, Iraqi authorities announced plans to close Al-Jadaa.

But little progress has been made and the relocation of displaced people to their home regions has proven challenging and prompted opposition from local people.


Egypt Tows Away Stranded Oil Tanker in Suez Canal

A general view of two tugboats working to refloat the cargo ship XIN HAI TONG 23 to the waiting area, in the canal next to Ismailia, Egypt May 25, 2023. The Suez Canal Authority/Handout via REUTERS
A general view of two tugboats working to refloat the cargo ship XIN HAI TONG 23 to the waiting area, in the canal next to Ismailia, Egypt May 25, 2023. The Suez Canal Authority/Handout via REUTERS
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Egypt Tows Away Stranded Oil Tanker in Suez Canal

A general view of two tugboats working to refloat the cargo ship XIN HAI TONG 23 to the waiting area, in the canal next to Ismailia, Egypt May 25, 2023. The Suez Canal Authority/Handout via REUTERS
A general view of two tugboats working to refloat the cargo ship XIN HAI TONG 23 to the waiting area, in the canal next to Ismailia, Egypt May 25, 2023. The Suez Canal Authority/Handout via REUTERS

An oil tanker that suffered engine failure in Egypt's Suez Canal, briefly disrupting traffic in the vital waterway, has been towed away, the canal's authority said on Sunday.

The canal authority's head, Osama Rabie, said in a statement that traffic in both directions had resumed as normal after tugboats managed to move the stranded tanker.

The crude tanker, SEAVIGOUR, is a Malta-flagged vessel that was built in 2016, according to Refinitiv Eikon shipping data.

It was heading from Russia to China, the canal authority added.

Frequent traffic disruptions occur in the Suez Canal due to technical malfunctions, but stoppages are usually brief.

Less than two weeks ago tugboats had to move a bulk carrier that had been stranded for several hours in the canal. 

 


Italian PM to Visit Tunisia Next Week, Discuss Illegal Immigration

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (EPA)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (EPA)
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Italian PM to Visit Tunisia Next Week, Discuss Illegal Immigration

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (EPA)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (EPA)

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is scheduled to visit Tunisia next week at the invitation of President Kais Saied.

Political observers believe the visit will address several thorny issues between the two nations, including illegal immigration from the shores of Tunisia towards the Italian coasts.

Tunisian presidency announced that Saied discussed the distinguished bilateral relations and the strategic ties between Tunisia and the European Union over the phone with the Prime Minister.

Observers also expect the visit to address Saied's initiative to hold a high-level conference between all countries affected by the migration issue.

The initiative includes countries in North Africa, the Sahel, the Sahara, and the northern shore of the Mediterranean. It aims to tackle the causes of irregular migration and identify appropriate ways to end the resulting humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar hailed Italy's understanding of the need to support the economic recovery ongoing in his country.

Ammar was speaking Friday night during a ceremony marking Italy's National Day at the residence of Italy's ambassador to Tunis.

The top official also thanked Italy for all its efforts to explain Tunisia's viewpoint to other countries regarding negotiations for a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He described Italy's backing of Tunisia on this point as "intelligent and constructive," saying it is a position that reflects Rome's insistence that the IMF finances the Tunisian economy to avoid collapse.

Last May, Meloni called on the International Monetary Fund during the G7 Summit in Japan to adopt a "pragmatic" approach to disburse financing to Tunisia without preconditions.


Comprehensive Settlement for Daraa Residents Directed by Syrian President

Individuals at the reconciliation center in Daraa Al-Mahatta city, Syria (an image circulated on social media platforms)
Individuals at the reconciliation center in Daraa Al-Mahatta city, Syria (an image circulated on social media platforms)
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Comprehensive Settlement for Daraa Residents Directed by Syrian President

Individuals at the reconciliation center in Daraa Al-Mahatta city, Syria (an image circulated on social media platforms)
Individuals at the reconciliation center in Daraa Al-Mahatta city, Syria (an image circulated on social media platforms)

The local security committee in Syria’s Daraa province, following President Bashar al-Assad’s directives, has called for a comprehensive settlement to address the status of all willing residents seeking reconciliation with the Syrian government.

This significant development occurred on Saturday and included those who aspire to return to their normal lives, including individuals who have fled military or police service, evaded mandatory or reserve military service, those facing security or military prosecutions, and individuals who have taken up arms against the Syrian state.

The committee urged all concerned parties to surrender their weapons to the appropriate authorities and engage in settlement agreements, emphasizing that this would contribute to regional stability and enable the state to restore normalcy to the region.

Scores of individuals flocked to the reconciliation center in Daraa Al-Mahatta city on Saturday morning, engaging in the new settlement process.

“This is the third settlement I have applied for,” one individual, who requested anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

It was revealed that many young people who attended to submit their settlements inquired about the effectiveness of the new reconciliation process and sought assurance from the relevant authorities and the security committee officers in Daraa, as previous attempts at reconciliation had not cleared their security record.

These individuals included former members of opposition factions who have not yet joined the local armed formations after the settlements, as well as individuals affiliated with groups formed by the security apparatus following the initial reconciliation agreement in 2018.

Reconciliatory authorities have recently pledged to swiftly clear the security prosecutions for all applicants, reaffirming that the leadership in Damascus is keenly interested in the process.

The settlement applicant interviewed by Asharq Al-Awsat pointed out that the previous settlements had similar advantages to the new reconciliation process.

The proposed settlement details include the removal of names of individuals who have evaded mandatory or reserve military service from the security lists, in exchange for a six-month grace period to join military service.

Meanwhile, military deserters or police defectors are granted a full month to rejoin their respective military or police units. They are provided with a judicial departure decision and a reenlistment assignment, with their names being removed from the security lists.

As for individuals listed as armed militants, their names will be removed from the security lists after surrendering their weapons.

Those facing security prosecutions will also have their names removed from the security lists, allowing them to resume their normal lives after engaging in the reconciliation process.

The recent settlement came after a series of meetings between local dignitaries, social figures in Daraa, and officials from the security committee affiliated with the Syrian government in the province.

Several reconciliations have recently taken place in the towns of Al-Naima, Nasib, and Umm Al-Mayazen in eastern rural Daraa, as well as in Ankhel and Sanamein in northwestern rural Daraa.

However, despite these settlements, the greater challenge remains in improving the living and economic conditions and providing essential services to the affected areas of the province, which have been subject to various agreements and decisions related to the reconciliation process that began in 2018.


Lebanon’s Opposition Likely to Nominate Jihad Azour as Presidential Candidate

 Former Minister Jihad Azour (Reuters)
Former Minister Jihad Azour (Reuters)
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Lebanon’s Opposition Likely to Nominate Jihad Azour as Presidential Candidate

 Former Minister Jihad Azour (Reuters)
Former Minister Jihad Azour (Reuters)

Lebanon’s opposition parties are expected to officially announce the candidacy of former Minister Jihad Azour for the presidential elections.

 

Representatives of the Christian parties confirmed moving forward with Azour’s candidacy, while opposition parliamentary sources stressed that the agreement was reached between the opposition and the Free Patriotic Movement, noting that some small formal details were still being discussed.

 

Lebanese Forces MP, Ghada Ayoub, announced that the coming days would witness the announcement of the opposition’s stance towards Azour’s nomination for the presidency.

 

“Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has not held an election session since January, and today there is no excuse for not calling for a session, as all justifications have fallen,” she told a radio interview.

 

She continued: “Azour is not a candidate for confrontation, and the facts on the ground, in addition to the external circumstances, no longer allow Hezbollah to run the game as it pleases and in the same way.”

 

Ayoub went on to say that with the nomination of Azour, the opposition succeeded in overthrowing the candidacy of former minister Sleiman Franjieh, who is backed by Hezbollah and the Amal Movement.

 

“Today there is an existing opposition... We will not allow anyone to impose their candidate on us by force,” the deputy underlined.

 

Meanwhile, the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) is yet to announce its position on the presidential candidate, knowing that Azour was among the names proposed by the party in a previous initiative.

 

While PSP MP Ghassan Atallah expressed his optimism that the meeting of the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc on Tuesday could end in this direction, his colleague, MP Bilal Abdullah, called for searching for a candidate who would be approved by all political forces.

 

“We had nominated Jihad Azour for his economic vision and successful experience in the Ministry of Finance; but what is required is to search for a new space for dialogue, and for a common candidate among all political forces. We will announce our position after we feel that all parties have agreed on a specific candidate,” Atallah said.

 

Meanwhile, Hezbollah and the Amal Movement are still dealing negatively with Azour’s candidacy.

 

MP Ali Khreis from the Development and Liberation bloc, which is headed by Speaker Nabih Berri, warned against “the danger of the coming days in light of the vacuum in the position of the presidency of the republic and the deliberate paralysis in state administrations...”

 

In similar remarks, Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan said: “We announced our support for Franjieh some time ago, and we are convinced that he is the right person for this role. The other team had a candidate, and now they are trying to agree on another... We will see developments in the coming days.”

 

“However, we are questioning whether the election of the president can take place without a national understanding,” he added.


Lebanon Launches Probe after Ambassador in France Accused of Rape, Violence

Lebanese Ambassador to France Rami Adwan and French President Emmanuel Macron. Reuters file photo
Lebanese Ambassador to France Rami Adwan and French President Emmanuel Macron. Reuters file photo
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Lebanon Launches Probe after Ambassador in France Accused of Rape, Violence

Lebanese Ambassador to France Rami Adwan and French President Emmanuel Macron. Reuters file photo
Lebanese Ambassador to France Rami Adwan and French President Emmanuel Macron. Reuters file photo

The Lebanese Foreign Minister has said it will investigate reports of rape and intentional violence by its Ambassador to France Rami Adwan.

The Ministry said on Twitter on Saturday that it will send a committee to Paris to question the diplomat and embassy staff about the complaints.

Adwan has already been investigated following complaints by two former embassy employees, informed sources said, confirming an earlier media report.

Due to his position, Adwan enjoys diplomatic immunity from prosecution, but the French government urged the Lebanese authorities to lift this and allow him to go on trial.

"In view of the seriousness of the facts mentioned, we consider it necessary for the Lebanese authorities to lift the immunity of the Lebanese ambassador in Paris in order to facilitate the work of the French judicial authorities", the French foreign ministry told AFP late Friday.

The first woman, aged 31, filed her complaint in June 2022 for a rape she says was committed in May 2020 in the ambassador's private apartment, according to sources close to the investigation.

According to her deposition seen by AFP, she made clear her lack of interest in having sex and that she screamed and burst into tears.

The woman, who was working as an editor, had already reported to police in 2020 that Adwan, in his post since 2017, had struck her during an argument in his office.

She said she had not filed a complaint because she did not want to "break the life" of the ambassador.

According to the complaint, she had a relationship with the ambassador, who carried out "psychological and physical violence with daily humiliations".

The second woman, aged 28, made a complaint last February after what she said was a series of physical attacks after she turned down sexual relations.

She claims Adwan tried to hit her with his car after an argument on the sidelines of last year's Normandy World Peace Forum.

She also accused the ambassador of trying to suffocate her at her home last December by pressing her face to her bed.

"My client contests all accusations of aggression in any shape or form: verbal, moral, sexual," Adwan's lawyer Karim Beylouni told AFP.

"Between 2018 and 2022 he had with these two women romantic relationships punctuated by arguments and breakups," Beylouni said.

An informed source said the Paris judicial police had closed the case.

Asked by AFP to comment, the Paris prosecutor's office said it was not immediately in a position to do so.


US Says Will Continue to Support a Civilian Government in Sudan

Sudanese army touring a Khartoum neighborhood (AFP)
Sudanese army touring a Khartoum neighborhood (AFP)
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US Says Will Continue to Support a Civilian Government in Sudan

Sudanese army touring a Khartoum neighborhood (AFP)
Sudanese army touring a Khartoum neighborhood (AFP)

The United States affirmed its support of the Sudanese people's demand for a civilian government and the resumption of Sudan's disrupted democratic transition.

Washington warned that the ongoing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) threatened the people of Sudan with the prospect of a protracted conflict and widespread suffering.

The US Embassy in Khartoum issued a statement asserting that Washington will continue to hold the belligerent parties accountable for their unconscionable violence and blatant disregard for the will of the Sudanese people.

The statement added that every day hostilities continue, the parties hinder the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those who need it most, destroy key infrastructure, and deny the aspirations of the Sudanese people for freedom, peace, and justice.

Meanwhile, violent clashes erupted in Khartoum as people commemorated the fourth anniversary of the forceful dispersal of the sit-in on June 3, 2019, during which the army general command killed hundreds and injured thousands of others.

It marks the second day in a row of clashes with heavy weapons, after the collapse of the Jeddah cease-fire agreement signed by the two warring parties, with Saudi-US mediation, amid the deterioration of the humanitarian situation and the increasing number of displaced people.

Clashes renewed in the old Omdurman and south of Khartoum, and explosions were heard in the cities and around vital and strategic locations.

 

 

 

Residents of Khartoum reported that the army's warplanes had bombed areas in the south of Khartoum, and the RSF units responded using ground anti-aircraft missiles.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the Sudanese Red Crescent announced the burial of 180 unidentified persons after the bodies piled up in the streets and people's inability to go out to bury them.