A child looks at UN peacekeepers during a visit of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to Al Nimir camp, in East Darfur, Sudan. AFP
A child looks at UN peacekeepers during a visit of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to Al Nimir camp, in East Darfur, Sudan. AFP
A child looks at UN peacekeepers during a visit of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to Al Nimir camp, in East Darfur, Sudan. AFP
A child looks at UN peacekeepers during a visit of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to Al Nimir camp, in East Darfur, Sudan. AFP

Ethnic violence in Sudan's Darfur region leaves 50 dead


Hamza Hendawi
  • English
  • Arabic

Fifty people have been killed in ethnic violence in Sudan’s Darfur region at the weekend, the local branch of the country’s powerful doctors’ union said on Tuesday.

The union initially said on Monday that 18 people had been killed.

The weekend’s clashes are now one of the deadliest episodes of violence in the restless Darfur area in years.

The number of wounded has also risen from 54 to 132, the union said.

The injured included several critical cases that require treatment in better-equipped hospitals in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, it added.

Authorities in Darfur have meanwhile declared a state of emergency in the city of Geneina in Western Darfur state, where the violence broke out on Saturday between ethnic African Masaleet tribesmen and Arabs. The violence is believed to have started over the theft of a car.

Government soldiers and local police have been patrolling the city’s streets since Monday, enforcing a tense quiet, according to local officials.

The latest bout of violence in Darfur, which has seen a ruinous insurrection in the 2000s, followed clashes in January in the vast region that left 250 people killed, including at least 10 children, and forced 10,000 to flee their homes.

In January, at least 70 people were killed in Gereida, a town in south Darfur, in clashes. The violence there was triggered by the killing of a 10-year-old boy.

Tribal tensions in Darfur have often boiled over into deadly clashes, underlining the fragility of the security situation in a region about the size of Spain.

Ongoing instability there has highlighted the central government’s limited resources to enforce law and order.

The 2000s insurgency, when Darfur’s ethnic Africans took up arms against government forces to press demands for a bigger share of national resources, has left some 300,000 people dead and forced 2.5 million to flee their homes.

The causes of that insurgency endure to this day.

The violence in Darfur follows the start in January of the withdrawal of a long-running peacekeeping mission by the UN and African Union.

A six-month withdrawal of the force will lead to a complete pull-out by June 30, leaving central and provincial governments in total control of security in the vast region for the first time since the force was established 13 years ago.

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

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School counsellors on mental well-being

Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.

Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.

Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.

“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.

“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.

“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.

“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”

Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.

The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.

At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.

“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.

“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.

"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”

Cultural fiesta

What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421,  Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day. 

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Xpanceo

Started: 2018

Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

Based: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

Funding: $40 million

Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

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Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

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