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Siddiq Haftar to Asharq Al-Awsat: My Visit to Khartoum Is Not Political

Siddiq Haftar during his meeting with Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo in Sudan (Archive Photo)
Siddiq Haftar during his meeting with Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo in Sudan (Archive Photo)
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Siddiq Haftar to Asharq Al-Awsat: My Visit to Khartoum Is Not Political

Siddiq Haftar during his meeting with Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo in Sudan (Archive Photo)
Siddiq Haftar during his meeting with Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo in Sudan (Archive Photo)

Siddiq Haftar, the eldest son of Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army, confirmed that his visit to Sudan, where he met with the deputy head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council and leader of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, was “not of a political nature.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Siddiq Haftar said he visited Sudan at the request of the Al-Merrikh Football Club, which appointed him as an honorary chairman.

He denied rumors that he had committed to providing financial support to the Sudanese club, and instead said he had promised to help the club find sponsors who could provide the needed support.

“Al-Merrikh is a prestigious club and I respect it, along with other Arab clubs,” said Haftar.

“However, I did not promise to provide any financial support because I do not have the funds and, more importantly, Libyan clubs are in greater need of support at this time,” he clarified.

He said that his short meeting with Dagalo during an iftar banquet was at the request of the Al-Merrikh Club presidency and “did not involve any discussion other than the club.”

“The visit was focused on the honorary presidency of the club, and I went there in response to a request from Al-Merrikh Club,” revealed Haftar.

“Through this visit, the club reciprocated the generous hospitality that Marshal Haftar had extended to the club during its stay in Benghazi (located in the east of Libya),” he explained.

Haftar expressed his “pain as an Arab citizen” about the situation in Sudan and added that he hopes for an end to the crisis in a way that serves the security and stability of the country and its people.

In other news, the Libyan embassy in Sudan announced that 83 Libyan nationals who were stranded in Khartoum were evacuated and transported to safer locations.

“The evacuation process was carried out after continuous efforts that culminated in the transfer of 83 members of the Libyan community, including embassy staff and their families, as well as some students and employees of African Airlines and Sahel and Sahara Bank, to safer places,” said Libyan ambassador to Khartoum Fawzi Abu Meriz.

Meriz added that “only a very few Libyans residing in scattered areas in the capital Khartoum remain, and the embassy is currently working on evacuating them as soon as a new ceasefire is declared.”

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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told Asharq al-Awsat that global hunger increased sharply during the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the GCC countries were able to shield themselves from major shocks affecting food security.
Laborde added that global hunger affected over 152 million people, with no improvement in the past two years.
Today, 733 million people suffer from chronic hunger, and 2.3 billion face food insecurity, according to the UN annual report on “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.”

Laborde explained that the global economic crisis has worsened food insecurity, keeping hunger levels high.
Alongside this, climate shocks and conflicts are major causes of hunger. He also pointed out that food insecurity is closely tied to inequality, and the economic crisis, rising living costs, and high interest rates are deepening existing inequalities both within and between countries.
On whether economic diversification in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is boosting food security, Laborde said: “A move towards a more diversified economy and enhancing the ability to rely on various sources of food supplies are key drivers of food security resilience and stability.”
“GCC countries have managed to shield themselves from major shocks, primarily due to their high income levels and ability to cover import costs without difficulty,” he explained.
Regarding the FAO’s outlook on reducing global hunger, Laborde insisted that ending hunger will require a significant increase in funding.
When asked for suggestions on how governments could enhance food security, Laborde said: “Despite global figures remaining stable, improvements are seen in Asia and Latin America, showing that the right policies and conditions can reduce numbers.”
“Hunger is not inevitable. Investing in social safety nets to protect the poor, along with making structural changes to food systems to be more environmentally friendly, resilient, and equitable, is the right path forward,” emphasized Laborde.
The annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, published on Wednesday, said about 733 million people faced hunger in 2023 – one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa.
Hunger and food insecurity present critical challenges affecting millions globally.
The annual report, released this year during the G20 Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty Task Force ministerial meeting in Brazil, warns that the world is significantly lagging in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2—ending hunger by 2030.
It highlights that global progress has regressed by 15 years, with malnutrition levels comparable to those seen in 2008-2009.
Despite some progress in areas like stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, a troubling number of people still face food insecurity and malnutrition, with global hunger levels rising.