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At Saudi, Egypt's Request, Arab League to Hold Emergency Meeting on Sudan

Smoke is seen rising in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 15, 2023. (AP)
Smoke is seen rising in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 15, 2023. (AP)
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At Saudi, Egypt's Request, Arab League to Hold Emergency Meeting on Sudan

Smoke is seen rising in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 15, 2023. (AP)
Smoke is seen rising in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 15, 2023. (AP)

The Arab League will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the latest developments in Sudan.

The meeting will be held at the level of permanent representatives.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt requested that the meeting be held, said Arab League Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki.

Fighting in the Sudanese capital raged into the early hours of Sunday after a day of deadly battles between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army that left at least 56 people dead and nearly 600 wounded.

Explosions and gunfire rang out on the deserted streets of Khartoum, according to witnesses, after the RSF said they were in control of the presidential palace, Khartoum airport and other vital facilities.

The clashes follow rising tensions over the RSF's integration into the military. The disagreement has delayed the signing of an internationally backed agreement with political parties on a transition to democracy.

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France to Host Lebanon Aid Conference, Macron Says

France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
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France to Host Lebanon Aid Conference, Macron Says

France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)

France will host an international conference this month to help drum up humanitarian aid for Lebanon and strengthen security in the southern part of the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday.

"We will hold in the next few weeks a conference to provide humanitarian aid, support the international community and support the Lebanese armed forces boost security, especially in southern Lebanon," Macron said after a meeting of French speaking countries in Paris.

Israel has begun an intense bombing campaign in Lebanon and sent troops across the border in recent weeks after nearly a year of exchanging fire with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Fighting had previously been mostly limited to the Israel-Lebanon border area, taking place in parallel to Israel's year-old war in Gaza against Palestinian group Hamas.  

Earlier, Macron said shipments of arms used in the conflict in Gaza should be stopped as part of a broader effort to find a political solution.  

France is not a major weapons provider for Israel, shipping military equipment worth 30 million euros ($33 million) last year, according to the defense ministry's annual arms exports report.  

"I think the priority today is to get back to a political solution (and) that arms used to fight in Gaza are halted. France doesn't ship any," Macron told France Inter radio.  

"Our priority now is to avoid escalation. The Lebanese people must not in turn be sacrificed, Lebanon cannot become another Gaza," he added.  

Macron's comments come as his Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is on a four-day trip to the Middle East, wrapping up on Monday in Israel as Paris looks to play a role in reviving diplomatic efforts.