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Sudan Urges UN Security Council to Discuss ‘UAE’s Aggression’

A bank, damaged from fighting in the war, is seen in south Khartoum. (AFP)
A bank, damaged from fighting in the war, is seen in south Khartoum. (AFP)
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Sudan Urges UN Security Council to Discuss ‘UAE’s Aggression’

A bank, damaged from fighting in the war, is seen in south Khartoum. (AFP)
A bank, damaged from fighting in the war, is seen in south Khartoum. (AFP)

Sudan has requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting on what it calls UAE "aggression" for allegedly supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) battling the army, a diplomatic source said Saturday according to AFP.

The fighting broke out in April last year between the regular army, headed by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

For months the regular army has accused the United Arab Emirates of supporting the RSF, a charge the UAE denies.

"Yesterday, our permanent representative to the United Nations submitted a request for an urgent session of the Security Council to discuss the UAE's aggression against the Sudanese people, and the provision of weapons and equipment to the terrorist militia," the source told AFP.

The country's official SUNA news agency confirmed that Sudan's UN representative, Al-Harith Idriss, had submitted the request.

SUNA cited Idriss as saying this was "in response to the UAE representative's memorandum to the Council", and that "the UAE's support for the criminal Rapid Support militia that waged war on the state makes the UAE an accomplice in all its crimes".

In a letter to the Security Council last week, the UAE foreign ministry rejected Sudan's accusations that it backs the RSF.

The letter said the allegations were "spurious (and) unfounded, and lack any credible evidence to support them".

Separately on Saturday, the UN Security Council expressed "deep concern" over escalating fighting in Sudan's North Darfur region and warned against the possibility of an imminent offensive by the RSF and allied militias on al-Fashir.

The city is the last Darfur state capital not under RSF control and hosts a large number of refugees.

The Sudan war has killed tens of thousands of people and forced more than 8.5 million people to flee their homes in what the United Nations has called the "largest displacement crisis in the world".

In December, Khartoum demanded that 15 Emirati diplomats leave the country after an army commander accused Abu Dhabi of supporting the RSF, and protests in Port Sudan demanded the expulsion of the UAE ambassador.

On Saturday, the UAE expressed its deep concern over the heightened tensions in the al-Fashir region and the threat this poses to Sudanese civilians, said its foreign ministry in a statement.

The UAE called on all armed factions, including the RSF and army, to end the fighting and return to dialogue. It urged all warring parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, and to take immediate, decisive measures to de-escalate tensions and prevent Sudan from plunging further into new levels of instability.

It called for strengthening the international humanitarian response and providing urgent relief to those in need in Sudan and neighboring countries.

The UAE is particularly alarmed by reports of sexual violence against women and girls, high risk of famine, indiscriminate aerial bombings, and the continued suffering and displacement of thousands of civilians, especially children, women, and the elderly, said the statement.

The UAE urged the UN Security Council to ensure an end to the conflict and to ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Sudan.

The UAE reiterated its firm position demanding an immediate ceasefire and a political solution to the crisis, stressing its support for the political process and efforts to achieve national consensus towards a civilian-led government, the ministry added.

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Arab World

Lebanese Judiciary Widens Probe into Hezbollah Explosives Shipment

Hezbollah supporters wave the group’s flags in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AFP).
Hezbollah supporters wave the group’s flags in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AFP).
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Lebanese Judiciary Widens Probe into Hezbollah Explosives Shipment

Hezbollah supporters wave the group’s flags in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AFP).
Hezbollah supporters wave the group’s flags in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AFP).

Lebanese judicial authorities have expanded their investigation into a shipment of explosives seized in Dahr al-Baydar, on the Bekaa-Beirut highway, seeking to establish its origin, intended recipients and purpose amid renewed fears of political assassinations.

The investigation is being overseen by Prosecutor General Ahmad Rami al-Hajj and Military Court Government Commissioner Judge Claude Ghanem.

Ghanem returned the preliminary investigation files of two detainees, identified as Ali K. and Haitham A., to military police investigators, requesting further questioning about the explosives and their intended destination.

He also ordered security agencies to identify two individuals known as Sajed and Zulfiqar, described by the detainees as Hezbollah officials.

A senior judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that preliminary confessions indicated Sajed had handed over the shipment in the Bekaa Valley, while Zulfiqar was awaiting its delivery in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified Ali K. as the son of a Resistance Brigades official in central Bekaa. Both detainees admitted belonging to Hezbollah, the source added.

Investigators were instructed to identify other suspects, amid suspicions that a larger group trained in handling explosives was involved.

“The quantity and dangerous nature of the shipment suggest the operation involved more than those responsible for handing over, receiving and transporting it,” the source explained.

Fears of Renewed Assassinations

Identifying the two alleged Hezbollah officials could help determine whether the seized explosives were part of a broader weapons trafficking operation.

According to the judicial source, the shipment is believed to have contained more than 500 kilograms of explosives, packed in cardboard boxes alongside small metal balls and nails designed to penetrate vehicle bodywork when propelled by an explosion.

The discovery has revived fears of a return to the wave of assassinations Lebanon experienced between 2005 and 2012, the source warned.

However, the official cautioned that establishing the existence of a security plot would require evidence beyond the seizure itself.

Calls to Disband Hezbollah’s Military Structure

The case has prompted political demands for the dismantling of Hezbollah’s military and security apparatus.

Lebanese Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel urged the state to dismantle Hezbollah’s military and security infrastructure immediately, warning against a recurrence of the assassinations that struck Lebanon between 2004 and 2008.

Gemayel recalled the 2005 explosives truck case, arguing that the failure to intercept it had led to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

MP Ashraf Rifi, a former senior security official, described the seizure as an extremely serious development and a test of state authority and institutional credibility.

He demanded that investigators uncover the entire network, prosecute everyone involved, including any implicated leaders, and examine possible links to previous assassinations without political interference or compromise.

Rifi also called for eliminating Hezbollah’s military and security structures operating outside state authority.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar, meanwhile, pledged that the investigation and all related inquiries would continue to their conclusion.

In a post on X, he stressed that disarming unauthorized groups and combating terrorism were non-negotiable objectives, adding that efforts to achieve them would be stepped up.

Arab World

‘Dawn of Yemen’ Offensive Intensifies Pressure on Houthis by Land and Air

Fighters from the Yemeni government’s Southern Giants Brigades near the Bab al-Mandab Strait (AP) 
Fighters from the Yemeni government’s Southern Giants Brigades near the Bab al-Mandab Strait (AP) 
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‘Dawn of Yemen’ Offensive Intensifies Pressure on Houthis by Land and Air

Fighters from the Yemeni government’s Southern Giants Brigades near the Bab al-Mandab Strait (AP) 
Fighters from the Yemeni government’s Southern Giants Brigades near the Bab al-Mandab Strait (AP) 

The Dawn of Yemen military offensive entered its seventh day on Sunday, with intensified airstrikes targeting Houthi positions and reinforcements in Taiz and along the western coast, as government forces pressed their ground assault and surrounded Houthi groups near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Military estimates put Houthi casualties at around 12,000 killed and wounded during the operation’s first six days.

Airstrikes extended beyond the Taiz frontlines to military targets in Houthi-held areas of Sanaa, Saada, Hajjah and Ibb, while government forces received air support as the Houthis attempted to recapture positions along the western coast.

On the western coast, the Southern Giants Brigades announced the destruction of five Houthi armored vehicles, killing their occupants, during an attempted advance toward Dhubab Airport. The brigades also reported repelling an attack north of the airport as airstrikes targeted Houthi reinforcements.

Government forces are seeking to consolidate control over recaptured areas around Bab al-Mandab, Mayyun Island and the Kahbub Mountains, preventing the Houthis from retaking strategic positions overlooking the strait.

More Than 1,900 Strikes in 24 Hours

The armed forces announced more than 1,900 direct precision strikes over 24 hours across the eastern, western and southwestern fronts.

Military spokesman Col. Majed al-Nuzaili explained that the strikes targeted weapons and ammunition depots, fortifications, military camps, strategic hilltop positions, troop concentrations, artillery emplacements and supply vehicles.

He added that high-value military targets deep inside Houthi-held territory were also struck.

Preliminary field estimates indicated that more than 1,150 Houthi fighters had been neutralized and over 180 combat, transport and supply vehicles destroyed or disabled during the same period, according to Nuzaili. Ground forces also advanced, recapturing additional positions and securing strategic heights.

In Taiz, military sources reported continued clashes southeast and west of the city, with government troops and Popular Resistance fighters repelling Houthi attacks and striking their positions and movements.

Government Vows to Restore State Authority

Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi reaffirmed the leadership’s determination to continue the offensive until the Houthi threat is eliminated and state institutions restored, regardless of the sacrifices required.

Prime Minister Shaya Mohsen al-Zindani maintained that the operation was steadily achieving its objectives, with the Southern Giants Brigades and Nation’s Shield Forces advancing with support from the Saudi-led coalition to secure Bab al-Mandab, Dhubab and the Kahbub Mountains.

He described the gains as reflecting Yemenis’ determination to end the Houthi takeover and restore state authority.

Zindani accused the Houthis of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, citing the recent attack on Aden International Airport and violations in Taiz. He also praised Saudi support as crucial to restoring state institutions and protecting national security.

Meanwhile, the cabinet warned that the Houthis’ expanding siege of Taiz threatened the lives, security and livelihoods of more than six million residents.

It instructed civilian, security and military authorities to coordinate efforts to protect residents, maintain essential services, ensure humanitarian aid deliveries and address security threats while respecting international humanitarian law.

The cabinet urged the United Nations and international community to pressure the Houthis to halt their attacks and lift the siege, reaffirming its commitment to restoring state authority and achieving the offensive’s objectives.

Arab World

Egypt’s Consul to Asharq Al-Awsat: Repatriation of Azza’s Body to Cairo Nears Completion

Egyptian flight attendant Azza Ramzy
Egyptian flight attendant Azza Ramzy
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Egypt’s Consul to Asharq Al-Awsat: Repatriation of Azza’s Body to Cairo Nears Completion

Egyptian flight attendant Azza Ramzy
Egyptian flight attendant Azza Ramzy

The formal procedures for repatriating the body of Egyptian flight attendant Azza Ramzy to Cairo is expected to arrive on Monday, pending the completion of the necessary permits and shipping arrangements, a senior official at the Egyptian Embassy in Saudi Arabia revealed on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the health condition of seven Egyptian nationals injured in the attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, have stabilized. Two have been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment, while the remaining five continue to receive medical care.

“The relevant authorities are working to complete the procedures for repatriating the body of Azza Ramzy after obtaining the transfer permit and finalizing the police report and death-related documents,” the consul general of the Egyptian embassy in Riyadh, Yasser Hashem, told Asharq Al-Awsat in a phone interview.

He said the procedures were progressing well and were expected to be completed on Sunday.

“The airline company for which Azza worked as a flight attendant would handle arrangements to transport her body to Cairo,” Hashem said.

He noted that a flight would be scheduled after preparing the coffin and coordinating with the shipping company and the relevant authorities.

According to Hashem, Azza’s body would be repatriated from Riyadh, depending on operational conditions at King Khalid International Airport and flight availability.

He affirmed that seven Egyptians were injured in the attack. Two of them received medical care and were discharged from the hospital, while the remaining five continue their treatment.

According to information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, Azza Ramzy spent three years working in Saudi Arabia. During that time, she left a positive impression on those who knew her, earning respect for her good character, dedication to her work and ambition.

One of Azza’s friends told Asharq Al-Awsat that she was the youngest of her siblings and was known for her exemplary character, good manners and respect for others.