Burhan’s Deputy Warns of 'Imminent' Catastrophe for Sudan, Neighboring Countries

Malik Agar. (His Facebook page) 
Malik Agar. (His Facebook page) 
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Burhan’s Deputy Warns of 'Imminent' Catastrophe for Sudan, Neighboring Countries

Malik Agar. (His Facebook page) 
Malik Agar. (His Facebook page) 

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) stated on its Facebook page that the ongoing situation will inevitably result in "massive destruction" for Sudan and neighboring countries.

The Movement emphasized that Deputy Head of the Sovereign Council, Malik Agar, is diligently working towards consolidating foreign and domestic initiatives through a credible dialogue, supported by facilitators of international and regional negotiations to attain peace and avert the impending collapse of Sudan.

The SPLM-N underscored the imperative need to enhance cooperation between Sudan and its immediate neighboring countries, with the aim of putting an end to the conflict and establishing a state of lasting peace and stability.

In May, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander of the Sudanese army, appointed Agar as a replacement for Hemedti.

Burhan made a televised speech on Tuesday announcing a ceasefire on the first day of Eid, while the Rapid Support Forces announced a truce.

"The conspiracy requires everyone to be awake and ready to respond to the existential threats to our country, and so we call on all the young men and who can defend to not hesitate to play this role, either from where he lives or by joining the armed forces," Burhan said during the speech.

Multiple ceasefires announced by both sides have been systematically violated, as well as others mediated by the United States and Saudi Arabia.

The UN refugee agency warned that conflict in Sudan would prompt 1 million people to flee across its borders in the next six months.

Witnesses told Reuters this month an increasing number of Sudanese civilians fleeing El Geneina, a city in Darfur hit by repeated attacks, have been killed or shot at as they tried to escape by foot to Chad.

Burhan who is also the head of the Sudan's ruling sovereign council blamed the RSF for the “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” in the city.



Gazans Shed Tears of Joy, Disbelief at News of Ceasefire Deal

Palestinians react to news of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
Palestinians react to news of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
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Gazans Shed Tears of Joy, Disbelief at News of Ceasefire Deal

Palestinians react to news of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
Palestinians react to news of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, 15 January 2025. (EPA)

Palestinians burst into celebration across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday at news of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with some shedding tears of joy and others whistling and clapping and chanting "God is greatest".

"I am happy, yes, I am crying, but those are tears of joy," said Ghada, a mother of five displaced from her home in Gaza City during the 15-month-old conflict.

"We are being reborn, with every hour of delay Israel conducted a new massacre, I hope it is all getting over now," she told Reuters via a chat app from a shelter in Deir al-Balah town in central Gaza.

Youths beat tambourines, blew horns and danced in the street in Khan Younis in the southern part of the enclave minutes after hearing news of the agreement struck in the Qatari capital Doha. The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The accord also provides for the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters.

For some, delight was mingled with sorrow.

Ahmed Dahman, 25, said the first thing he would do when the deal goes into effect is to recover the body of his father, who was killed in an airstrike on the family's house last year, and "give him a proper burial."

'A DAY OF HAPPINESS AND SADNESS'

"I feel a mixture of happiness because lives are being saved and blood is being stopped," said Dahman, who like Ghada was displaced from Gaza City and lives in Deir al-Balah.

"But I am also worried about the post-war shock of what we will see in the streets, our destroyed homes, my father whose body is still under the rubble."

His mother, Bushra, said that while the ceasefire wouldn't bring her husband back, "at least it may save other lives."

"I will cry, like never before. This brutal war didn't give us time to cry," said the tearful mother, speaking to Reuters by a chat app.

Iman Al-Qouqa, who lives with her family in a nearby tent, was still in disbelief.

"This is a day of happiness, and sadness, a shock and joy, but certainly it is a day we all must cry and cry long because of what we all lost. We did not lose friends, relatives, and homes only, we lost our city, Israel sent us back in history because of its brutal war," she told Reuters.

"It is time the world comes back into Gaza, focuses on Gaza, and rebuilds it," said Qouqa.

Israeli troops invaded Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen broke through security barriers and burst into Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and abducting more than 250 foreign and Israeli hostages. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gaza health ministry figures, and left the coastal enclave a wasteland, with many thousands living in makeshift shelters.