File Photo: Smoke plumes billow from a fire at a lumber warehouse in southern Khartoum on June 7, 2023. AFP
File Photo: Smoke plumes billow from a fire at a lumber warehouse in southern Khartoum on June 7, 2023. AFP
File Photo: Smoke plumes billow from a fire at a lumber warehouse in southern Khartoum on June 7, 2023. AFP
File Photo: Smoke plumes billow from a fire at a lumber warehouse in southern Khartoum on June 7, 2023. AFP

Sudan's army and RSF blame each other for bombing Ethiopian embassy in Khartoum


Hamza Hendawi
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Sudan's army and its rival paramilitary the Rapid Support Forces blamed each other for the bombing on Tuesday of the Ethiopian embassy in the Sudanese capital.

The army and the RSF have been locked in ruinous fighting in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan since mid-April, creating a massive humanitarian crisis and forcing millions to flee their homes.

The RSF was the first to level the accusation against the army, saying the "barbaric act" caused substantial damage to the embassy, located in the upscale Amarat district.

“We, in the Rapid Support Forces, condemn and regret this barbaric act.”

The army countered the RSF accusation in a statement of its own several hours later, saying the "mutinous" RSF was behind the attack.

"The armed forces condemn in the strongest terms this attack on the offices of the (Ethiopian) mission and express its deepest regret," said the army statement.

There was no comment immediately available on the attack by the Ethiopian government.

It was also unclear whether there were any casualties.

The army, led by Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, has been using air strikes and heavy artillery in its fight against the RSF in the Sudanese capital, actions believed to have caused hundreds of casualties among civilians since the fighting began.

The RSF, whose forerunner is a notorious Darfur-based militia once known as the Janjaweed, is accused of large scale looting in the capital as well as gross abuse of civilians. In Darfur, the RSF and allied Arab militias are accused of targeting members of ethnic African communities, killing thousands and forcing many more to flee their homes.

Fatma Idriss recounts how the RSF and Arab militiamen killed her husband while sitting at a refugee camp in Adre, Chad. Reuters
Fatma Idriss recounts how the RSF and Arab militiamen killed her husband while sitting at a refugee camp in Adre, Chad. Reuters

The International Criminal Court has said it was investigating suspected war crimes by the RSF in Darfur.

Separately, the United States, Britain, Norway and Germany plan to submit a motion to the UN Human Rights Council to set up an investigation into alleged atrocities in Sudan, a draft motion showed on Friday.

The fighting has forced more than five million people to leave their homes, including about one million who took refuge outside Sudan, mostly in neighbouring nations.

Millions more are trapped in the Sudanese capital, enduring lengthy water and power cuts, scarce health care and skyrocketing food and fuel prices.

The early days of the fighting saw RSF fighters storm and vandalise foreign embassies and the offices of international organisations.

US tops drug cost charts

The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.

Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.

In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.

Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol. 

The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.

High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.

The drill

Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.

Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”

Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”

Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.” 

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Updated: October 04, 2023, 6:49 AM`