Civilians in Sudan are increasingly being targeted in the battle for supremacy between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has warned.
“As the SAF and the RSF battle for control at all costs in the senseless war that has raged for close to two years now, direct and ethnically motivated attacks on civilians are becoming increasingly common,” Mr Turk said on Friday.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has taken a dangerous turn for civilians over the past week, with reports of dozens killed in ethnically targeted attacks in the south-eastern state of Al Jazira. The UN Human Rights Office documented at least 21 deaths in just two attacks in the state within the past week.
The SAF recently recaptured Al Jazira's capital, Wad Medani, but the RSF still holds several areas in the strategic province south of Khartoum.
The Emergency Lawyers group, a pro-democracy organisation documenting the conflict, reported that 15 people were killed and more than 20 wounded when RSF fighters attacked Al Khizan village on Wednesday, forcing its residents to flee.
SAF fighters attacked natives of Sudan's Darfur region in Al Jazira after taking Wad Medani last week. Video footage widely circulated online shows fighters murdering and humiliating Darfur natives, who they accused of having RSF sympathies.
The attacks were condemned by Sudanese rights groups and the UN. The army said it would launch an investigation and punish those responsible.
Violence spreads to South Sudan
Videos allegedly showing SAF fighters of Arab descent killing and humiliating South Sudanese citizens of black African descent in Wad Medani led to revenge killings against Sudanese refugees in South Sudan. Angry mobs in the capital, Juba, attacked Sudanese-owned businesses and homes on Friday, resulting in three deaths and seven injuries.
Tension has been high between the two ethnic groups amid continuing arrivals of Sudanese escaping the violence at home. The UN said in October that the number of Sudanese refugees in South Sudan had exceeded half a million.
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir called for calm and urged citizens not to take the law into their own hands. The government instituted a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Juba and deployed forces to protect Sudanese people and property. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry thanked the South Sudanese government for its co-operation and warning Sudanese citizens to take precautions.
The US on Friday imposed sanctions on Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, the leader of the SAF, for his involvement in the civil war. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused the SAF of committing war crimes following the killings in Wad Medani.
Sudan's Foreign Ministry criticised the sanctions as “immoral and lacking in fairness and objectivity”, saying they “make light of the Sudanese people” and “practically support those who commit genocide”, alluding to accusations against the RSF.
The SAF-affiliated Sudanese General Intelligence Service also condemned the sanctions, saying the US was meddling in the country's affairs at a sensitive time when the populace supports the armed forces.
The conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world, with about half of Sudan's population in need of assistance and protection. Tens of thousands have been killed, and more than 11.5 million people have been displaced since the war began.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Brackets denote aggregate score
Tuesday:
Roma (1) v Shakhtar Donetsk (2), 11.45pm
Manchester United (0) v Sevilla (0), 11.45pm
Wednesday:
Besiktas (0) v Bayern Munich (5), 9pm
Barcelona (1) v Chelsea (1), 11.45pm
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
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
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
