Kenyan President, Sudan’s RSF Leader Agree to Support Jeddah Platform

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)
TT

Kenyan President, Sudan’s RSF Leader Agree to Support Jeddah Platform

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)

Kenyan President William Ruto has agreed with the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), to support the Jeddah peace process, which is facilitated by Saudi Arabia and the United States, with the participation of the African Union and the Intergovernmental Development Organization (IGAD), with the aim to reach a solution to the conflict in Sudan.

In a statement on X, Hemedti said Friday that he discussed with Ruto during a phone conversation the situation in Sudan.

The two sides stressed the importance of the role played by IGAD, the joint and continuous coordination, and the need to deploy more efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.

The RSF commander thanked Ruto for his continued support for the Sudanese people and for the stability of Sudan and the region.

Kenya chairs the IGAD quartet that is concerned with resolving the crisis in Sudan. The quartet also includes South Sudan, Uganda and Djibouti, the country hosting the organization’s headquarters.

Two weeks ago, the chairman of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Army Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, made a visit to Kenya, which eased tension and estrangement between the two countries, following the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ accusations of the Kenyan leadership of bias towards the RSF and providing safe havens for its leadership.

Al-Burhan and Ruto agreed on the progress achieved in the Jeddah platform, stressing the need to accelerate the negotiating process to reach a ceasefire and end the hostilities. The two sides also approved the holding of an emergency summit of IGAD leaders, as part of efforts to achieve a ceasefire, and to establish a framework for a comprehensive Sudanese dialogue.



Almost Half of Attacks on Heath Care in Lebanon Have Been Deadly, WHO Says

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
TT

Almost Half of Attacks on Heath Care in Lebanon Have Been Deadly, WHO Says

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)

The World Health Organization says nearly half of the attacks on health care in Lebanon have been deadly since the Middle East conflict erupted in October last year, the highest such rate anywhere in the world.

The UN health agency says 65 out of 137, or 47%, of recorded “attacks on health care” in Lebanon over that time period have proven fatal to at least one person, and often many more.

WHO’s running global tally counts attacks, whether deliberate or not, that affect places like hospitals, clinics, medical transport, and warehouses for medical supplies, as well as medics, doctors, nurses and the patients they treat.

Nearly half of attacks on health care in Lebanon since last October and the majority of deaths occurred since an intensified Israeli military campaign began against Hezbollah in the country two months ago.

The health agency said 226 health workers and patients have been killed and 199 injured in Lebanon between Oct. 7, 2023 and this Monday.