Arab League Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Sudan

Arab League foreign ministers meet during an annual meeting in Cairo, Egypt. AP
Arab League foreign ministers meet during an annual meeting in Cairo, Egypt. AP
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Arab League Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Sudan

Arab League foreign ministers meet during an annual meeting in Cairo, Egypt. AP
Arab League foreign ministers meet during an annual meeting in Cairo, Egypt. AP

The Arab League on Sunday called for a ceasefire in Sudan, urging the Arab ambassadors in Khartoum to act for the restoration of stability by contacting all parties.

The League expressed deep regret for the casualties in the clashes and extended sincere condolences to the victims’ families as well as the Sudanese people.

In a final statement issued after an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the recent developments in the country upon an invitation by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the Arab League stressed the necessity of an "immediate ceasefire … to protect the civilians and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sudan."

The meeting was held at the level of permanent representatives.

The League also emphasized the need for a return to peaceful negotiations and to "establish a new phase that fulfills the ambitions of the brotherly Sudanese people and contributes to reinforcing political and economic security and stability.”

It warned of serious repercussions of the violent escalation in Sudan, "the scope of which is difficult to determine internally and regionally."

The organization said it is ready "to exert efforts to help Sudan end the crisis in a sustainable manner, in a way that serves the interest of the Sudanese people." It further expressed readiness to closely monitor the Sudanese developments and to intensify Arab calls to end the crisis.

The League, at the level of permanent representatives, is in "permanent session to follow up the developments in Sudan,” it said.

It invited all Arab ambassadors in Khartoum to coordinate with each other and establish consistent communication with the Sudanese authorities and all relevant parties to provide the necessary support for the restoration of stability.

It further called on the ambassadors to coordinate with the General Secretariat and the State President of the Council at the ministerial level (Egypt).

Concluding the statement, the League called on Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit to take necessary measures to implement the statement.



Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Syrian Youth Will Resist Incoming Government

A defaced portrait of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seen in Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024 (issued 22 December 2024). (EPA)
A defaced portrait of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seen in Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024 (issued 22 December 2024). (EPA)
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Syrian Youth Will Resist Incoming Government

A defaced portrait of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seen in Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024 (issued 22 December 2024). (EPA)
A defaced portrait of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seen in Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024 (issued 22 December 2024). (EPA)

Iran's supreme leader on Sunday said that young Syrians will resist the new government emerging after the overthrow of President Bashar sl-Assad as he again accused the United States and Israel of sowing chaos in the country.

Iran had provided crucial support to Assad throughout Syria's nearly 14-year civil war, which erupted after he launched a violent crackdown on a popular uprising against his family's decades-long rule. Syria had long served as a key conduit for Iranian aid to Lebanon's armed group Hezbollah.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in an address on Sunday that the “young Syrian has nothing to lose" and suffers from insecurity following Assad's fall.

“What can he do? He should stand with strong will against those who designed and those who implemented the insecurity," Khamenei said. “God willing, he will overcome them.”

He accused the United States and Israel of plotting against Assad's government in order to seize resources, saying: “Now they feel victory, the Americans, the Zionist regime and those who accompanied them.”

Iran and its armed proxies in the region have suffered a series of major setbacks over the past year, with Israel battering Hamas in Gaza and landing heavy blows on Hezbollah before they agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon last month.

Khamenei denied that such groups were proxies of Iran, saying they fought because of their own beliefs and that Tehran did not depend on them. “If one day we plan to take action, we do not need proxy force,” he said.