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Sudan's military ruler Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan plans to attend the UN General Assembly in New York this week, a trip seen as an attempt to cement his position as the nation's legitimate leader.
It comes at a time when his army has been embroiled in a ruinous war since April against rival paramilitary the Rapid Support Forces.
Informed Sudanese sources said on Monday that Gen Al Burhan was expected to travel to New York on Wednesday after first visiting Saudi Arabia, a regional powerhouse that has long been among his country's major financial and political backers.
Saudi Arabia also joined the US in mediating a series of ceasefires between the army and the RSF in the early stages of the war.
The ceasefires were either completely ignored or not fully observed, forcing Riyadh and Washington to suspend their mediation until the two sides showed a genuine desire to end the war.
Gen Al Burhan's visit to Saudi Arabia and New York follows trips over the past month to Egypt, Qatar, Uganda, South Sudan, Turkey and Eritrea.
He has been based in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan since last month when he slipped out of Khartoum, where he had been trapped for nearly four months in a section of the armed force's headquarters controlled by the army.
The foreign visits have bolstered Gen Al Burhan's position as the internationally recognised leader of Sudan, but they also drew a sharp response from his nemesis and former ally, RSF commander Gen Mohamed Dagalo, who described the army chief's claim to legitimacy as “false”.
The RSF leader also threatened to create a rival government in Khartoum if Gen Al Burhan creates one in Port Sudan, warning that this would effectively divide the vast Afro-Arab nation of 48 million.
The RSF, he boasted, could march on Port Sudan if he gave the order. The paramilitary group was in near complete control of the capital, he said.
Port Sudan is about 1,000km east of Khartoum.
The RSF has escalated its attacks on army positions in Khartoum in recent days, something that analysts believe aims to secure battlefield victories that would undermine Gen Al Burhan's international standing.
That could subsequently give the RSF a strong hand if and when peace negotiations resume.
“There is a need to create a genuine government to replace the existing administration, which is mandated to run the country's day-to-day affairs,” said retired army Maj Gen Amin Magzoub, director of the Centre for Strategic and Security Studies in Khartoum.
“The continuing absence of a genuine government will put Sudan on the road to being a failed state.”
Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo jointly seized power in 2021, toppling a civilian-led government and derailing Sudan's democratic transition. No government has been named since.
“The Rapid Support Forces, on the other hand, does not have the qualified personnel to create a government and, moreover, it's intensely resented by millions because of the looting and sexual assaults blamed on its fighters since the war began,” said Maj Gen Magzoub.
Osman Al Mirghany, a prominent Sudanese analyst, said Gen Dagalo's threats to march on Port Sudan or create a government were empty. The distance to the Red Sea port city would make the RSF's supply lines impossible to secure, he added.
He also suggested that Gen Dagalo's threat to create a government in Khartoum may have been inspired in part by the Forces for Freedom and Change, a pro-democracy alliance that partnered the army in the administration the two generals toppled two years ago.
“They (the FFC) sensed that an internationally recognised government in Port Sudan will leave them out and signal their exit from the nation's political landscape,” said Mr Al Mirghany.
Many in Khartoum, including Mr Al Mirghany, believe a significant FFC faction moved closer to the RSF in the months before the start of the war when the two generals publicly bickered over the assimilation of the RSF into the armed forces.
The sides also differed on the military's place in a democratic and civilian-ruled Sudan.
“Some in the FFC see benefits in an alliance or at least close ties with the RSF, mostly because of its vast monetary and material resources,' said Mr Al Mirghany.
The RSF, whose forerunner is a notorious militia active in Darfur in the 2000s, has over the past decade evolved into a well-armed and agile force of some 100,000 fighters. It has also amassed a vast wealth from gold mining, economic ventures and sending its men to fight in Yemen as part of a Saudi-led coalition against Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The RSF has also responded this week to Gen Al Burhan's growing international stature with renewed attacks on the armed forces' headquarters, engaging the army in fierce fighting that, residents say, left several of the city landmark towers engulfed in flames.
Sudan's Foreign Ministry on Monday blamed the RSF for the fires.
The RSF has also been throwing significant resources into its repeated attempts to capture a key military base in Khartoum – the Armoured Corps in Al Shagara district – where it made inroads last month but has been met with stiff resistance.
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
12,500 - highly active
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
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The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Liverpool v Manchester United - 3.30pm
Burnley v West Ham United - 6pm
Crystal Palace v Chelsea - 6pm
Manchester City v Stoke City - 6pm
Swansea City v Huddersfield Town - 6pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth - 6pm
Watford v Arsenal - 8.30pm
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton - 4.30pm
Southampton v Newcastle United - 7pm
Monday
Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion - 11pm
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
SPECS
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
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The five pillars of Islam
UAE gold medallists:
Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.
