Sudan Fires Tear Gas at Post-coup Deal Protesters

People hold Sudanese flags during a protest, in Khartoum, Sudan, November 25, 2021. (Reuters)
People hold Sudanese flags during a protest, in Khartoum, Sudan, November 25, 2021. (Reuters)
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Sudan Fires Tear Gas at Post-coup Deal Protesters

People hold Sudanese flags during a protest, in Khartoum, Sudan, November 25, 2021. (Reuters)
People hold Sudanese flags during a protest, in Khartoum, Sudan, November 25, 2021. (Reuters)

Sudanese security forces fired tear gas Tuesday at protesters rallying against last month's military takeover and a subsequent deal that reinstated the prime minister, witnesses said.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the capital Khartoum and marched on the presidential palace, before security forces fired tear gas to disperse them, they said.

"I'm here to demand the fall of military rule," demonstrator Mohamed Alaaldin told AFP.

Sudan's top general, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, seized power and detained Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on October 25, but after international condemnation and mass protests he reinstated the premier nearly a month later.

Critics however have lambasted the November 21 agreement as "whitewashing" and accused Hamdok of "betrayal", with pro-democracy activists vowing to maintain pressure on the military-civilian authority.

On Tuesday, security forces were stationed around the palace to prevent demonstrators from approaching.

"No partnership, no negotiation, no legitimacy," protesters chanted, urging the military "to go back to their barracks".

At least 43 people have been killed in anti-coup protests since last month, according to medics.

Doctors have accused security forces of using live rounds, but police denied the allegations, saying they only used "minimum force" to disperse protests.

On Tuesday, police forces were seen chasing protesters on streets near the presidential palace with "whips", witnesses said.

"Severe injuries to the hands have been observed among several protesters," the independent Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said.

The wounds resulted from attempts by protesters to throw away the "sound bombs" fired by security forces, it added.

'Clear and decisive response'
The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), an umbrella of unions which called for Tuesday's protests, accused Hamdok and Burhan of seeking to "reproduce the former regime" of President Omar al-Bashir.

Bashir was ousted and jailed in April 2019 following mass protests.

"Taking to the streets is a clear and decisive response to the putschists' nonsense," said the SPA, which was also instrumental in the anti-Bashir protests.

Hamdok, who has been prime minister in the transitional government since 2019, has defended the deal, which he signed after he was released from effective house arrest.

He has said he partnered with the military to "stop the bloodshed" and to "not squander the gains of the last two years".

The Burhan-Hamdok agreement was welcomed by the United Nations, African Union, and Arab and Western countries.

The military has vowed to release detainees kept in custody since the coup, and several politicians have since been freed.

Burhan has also pledged to lead Sudan to "free and transparent elections" in July 2023.

He has insisted the military's move "was not a coup" but a step "to rectify the transition".



Paris Urges Baghdad to Avoid Being Dragged in Regional Escalation

 Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) shake hands as he receives French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (L) upon his arrival for an official visit to Baghdad on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) shake hands as he receives French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (L) upon his arrival for an official visit to Baghdad on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
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Paris Urges Baghdad to Avoid Being Dragged in Regional Escalation

 Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) shake hands as he receives French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (L) upon his arrival for an official visit to Baghdad on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) shake hands as he receives French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (L) upon his arrival for an official visit to Baghdad on February 5, 2026. (AFP)

French diplomatic sources said Paris has warned of the risks posed by the involvement of Iraqi armed factions in any potential regional escalation, stressing that Iraq should not be drawn into conflicts that do not serve its national interests at a time of mounting regional tensions.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that the warning was among the messages delivered by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot during his visit to Baghdad on Thursday, where he held talks with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. The trip marked Barrot’s second official visit to Iraq in less than a year.

According to the sources, the French minister underscored that the stability and security achieved in Iraq “with great patience and effort” should not be jeopardized under any circumstances.

He cautioned that the involvement of non-state armed groups in regional confrontations could undermine Iraq’s recovery and threaten the security of both the country and the wider region.

The stance echoed remarks Barrot made to news agencies in Baghdad on Thursday, in which he said France’s priority in the region remains the fight against ISIS and preventing its resurgence.

Any security deterioration, whether in Iraq or in camps and prisons in northeastern Syria, would benefit the group, he warned.

Barrot said France is working with its partners to ensure continued security at these sites, adding that a collapse there “would not serve anyone’s interests.”

He praised Iraq’s efforts to receive detainees linked to ISIS, calling it a crucial step in international efforts to address one of the most sensitive post-conflict files.

For his part, Hussein reiterated Baghdad’s commitment to continued cooperation with the international coalition against terrorism, emphasizing Iraq’s determination to safeguard internal stability and steer clear of regional power struggles.

Iraqi foreign policy is based on balance and building relations with all partners to shield the country from regional tensions, he stressed.

The talks also addressed Iran, amid fears of escalation and its potential repercussions for Iraq.

Barrot urged the need for Tehran to respond to a US proposal for negotiations and to make substantive concessions on its nuclear program, ballistic arsenal, and destabilizing regional activities, while ending repressive policies.

Iraq, he said, must stay out of any regional confrontation.

Paris and Baghdad are also aligned on Syria, supporting a peaceful, inclusive political transition involving all components of Syrian society, alongside continued efforts to combat ISIS and prevent its return to liberated areas, he added.

French sources said Paris’ core message was to shield Iraq from being pulled into any regional escalation and to preserve its stability.


Damascus Moves to Implement SDF Deal amid Regional and International Backing

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces welcome a convoy of the Syrian Ministry of Interior heading to Qamishli in northeastern Syria. (AP)
Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces welcome a convoy of the Syrian Ministry of Interior heading to Qamishli in northeastern Syria. (AP)
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Damascus Moves to Implement SDF Deal amid Regional and International Backing

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces welcome a convoy of the Syrian Ministry of Interior heading to Qamishli in northeastern Syria. (AP)
Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces welcome a convoy of the Syrian Ministry of Interior heading to Qamishli in northeastern Syria. (AP)

Damascus is pressing ahead with steps to implement its agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the gradual integration of its fighters, redeployment in northeastern Syria, and the return of key facilities to state control.

The deal is receiving regional and international support and is being framed as an opportunity to integrate Syria’s Kurds into state institutions and help build a “new Syria.”

On Friday, a delegation from the Syrian Ministry of Defense was in Hasakah to discuss practical measures for incorporating SDF personnel into the national military, said the ministry’s Media and Communications Directorate.

The move is in line with the agreement announced on Jan. 29 between the Syrian government and the SDF. The accord includes a ceasefire, the gradual integration of Kurdish military and administrative structures into state institutions, and the restoration of government control over vital installations in the province.

Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din al-Baba said the deployment of Internal Security Forces in Qamishli, in northeastern Syria, is proceeding under a clear timeline and operational plan to complete the agreement’s implementation.

This includes taking over and managing strategic facilities such as border crossings, Qamishli International Airport, and oil fields, with the aim of reactivating them “in service of the Syrian people,” he said in statements carried by state television Al-Ikhbariya.

Al-Baba added that the deployment is being carried out “in coordination with the other side in the city,” referring to the SDF, following a similar security deployment in Hasakah.

The agreement is also expected to address the issue of foreign fighters and to integrate the local Kurdish internal security force, known as the Asayish, into the Interior Ministry.

Al-Baba stressed that the ministry welcomes “all Syrian national cadres who serve the people.”

French support

French diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot informed SDF commander Mazloum Abdi that Paris wants to the January 29 agreement implemented “clause by clause” over the long term.

Barrot, who visited Iraq, Syria and Lebanon this week, described the deal as a “historic opportunity” for Syria’s Kurds to take part in building a new Syria alongside other components of society, the sources said.

The FM also discussed developments in Syria with leaders of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, acknowledging their role in securing the ceasefire between Damascus and the SDF and agreeing to maintain close coordination to ensure the agreement’s success.

On Friday, Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani met with Abdi and urged both the Syrian government and SDF to commit to the agreement.

A statement from Barzani’s office said the talks focused on conditions in northeastern Syria and underlined coordination among all parties to safeguard Kurdish rights within the country’s constitutional framework.


Axios: US Plans Meeting for Gaza 'Board of Peace' in Washington on Feb 19

Trump and leaders and representatives of the countries participating in the signing of the founding charter of the “Peace Council” in Davos (AFP - Archive)
Trump and leaders and representatives of the countries participating in the signing of the founding charter of the “Peace Council” in Davos (AFP - Archive)
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Axios: US Plans Meeting for Gaza 'Board of Peace' in Washington on Feb 19

Trump and leaders and representatives of the countries participating in the signing of the founding charter of the “Peace Council” in Davos (AFP - Archive)
Trump and leaders and representatives of the countries participating in the signing of the founding charter of the “Peace Council” in Davos (AFP - Archive)

The White House is planning the first leaders meeting for President Donald Trump's so-called "Board of Peace" in relation to Gaza on February 19, Axios reported on Friday, citing a US official and diplomats from four countries that are on the board.

The plans for the meeting, which would also be a fundraising conference for Gaza reconstruction, are in early stages and could still change, Axios reported.

The meeting is planned to be held at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, the report added, noting that Israeli Prime ‌Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‌is scheduled to meet Trump at the ‌White ⁠House on ‌February 18, a day before the planned meeting.

The White House and the US State Department did not respond to requests for comment.

In late January, Trump launched the board that he will chair and which he says will aim to resolve global conflicts, leading to many experts being concerned that such a board could undermine the United Nations, Reuters said.

Governments around ⁠the world have reacted cautiously to Trump's invitation to join that initiative. While some ‌of Washington's Middle Eastern allies have joined, many ‍of its traditional Western allies have ‍thus far stayed away.

A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in ‍mid-November, authorized the board and countries working with it to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire began in October under a Trump plan on which Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas signed off.

Under Trump's Gaza plan revealed late last year, the board was meant to supervise Gaza's temporary governance. Trump thereafter said ⁠it would be expanded to tackle global conflicts.

Many rights experts say that Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory's affairs resembled a colonial structure and have criticized the board for not including a Palestinian.

The fragile ceasefire in Gaza has been repeatedly violated, with over 550 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers reported killed since the truce began in October.

Israel's assault on Gaza since late 2023 has killed over 71,000 Palestinians, caused a hunger crisis and internally displaced Gaza's entire population.

Multiple rights experts, scholars and a UN inquiry say it amounts to genocide. Israel calls its actions self-defense after Hamas-led ‌militants killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages in a late 2023 attack.