In Sudan, abuses and massacres amid Western silence

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After the bloody fall of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, thousands of civilians were killed in ethnic massacres carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which received logistical and material support from the United Arab Emirates, according to several investigations. While the UN and the European Union have expressed their concern and denounced the brutality of the paramilitaries, many Sudanese voices are speaking out against the lack of international mobilization, pointing to the West's lack of interest and its collective responsibility for the persistence of the conflict.

The Quartet (United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates) attempted to facilitate a ceasefire in Washington, to no avail. According to several sources, Abu Dhabi sabotaged the talks while its paramilitary allies prepared the offensive on El Fasher. The Emirates are orchestrating a logistical airlift via Libya, Mali, Chad, South Sudan, and Somalia, supplying heavy weapons, Chinese drones, armored vehicles, ammunition, and mercenaries. These deliveries, which violate the European embargo, are carried out with French, British, Canadian, and Bulgarian equipment, often under the passive gaze of the European Union.

Despite official denials, reports are mounting about Abu Dhabi's direct involvement in the conflict, which is enabling General Hemetti, leader of the RSF and a key player in gold trafficking to the Emirates, to regain the military upper hand.

Abuses are on the rise, particularly in El Obeid, North Kordofan, where civilians and members of the Red Cross are among the victims, and impunity seems to be the norm for the perpetrators of this violence. While Western countries are issuing more and more statements, they are reluctant to take further action, hamstrung by their diplomatic and energy interests with the Emirates.

Sudan is mired in a major humanitarian crisis, observed by an international community divided between public outrage and private passivity. Le Monde

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IN SHORT

🇸🇩 Sudan • Nearly 36,000 people have fled the Kordofan region east of Darfur since El Fasher was taken by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to a UN agency. Many have joined Tawila, already saturated with more than 652,000 displaced.

🇨🇳 China - 🇺🇸 United States - 🇹🇼 Taiwan • Donald Trump claimed that Xi Jinping had assured him that Beijing would not take action against Taiwan while he was US president. Trump did not give a clear answer on whether Washington would defend Taiwan militarily in the event of a Chinese attack. In addition, deliveries of F-16V aircraft and American torpedoes to Taipei are experiencing delays due to disruptions on the production lines, and military aid remains a sensitive issue between the two countries.

🇳🇬 Nigeria - 🇺🇸 United States • Donald Trump has threatened Nigeria with military intervention over what he claims is violence against Christians. Abuja has opted for dialogue and proposed a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the US president. The Nigerian government wishes to address the nature of the violence during a possible exchange.

🇦🇫 Afghanistan • A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the north of the country last night, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 320 residents in the provinces of Samangan and Balkh. The Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif suffered damage. Tremors were felt as far away as Kabul.

🇺🇸 United States - 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico - 🇻🇪 Venezuela • The United States have reactivated the Roosevelt Roads naval base in Puerto Rico, closed since 2004, to strengthen its military presence in relation to Venezuela. F-35 fighter jets, helicopters, and troop transport aircraft have been deployed, and the runway and infrastructure are being renovated.

🇷🇺 Russia - 🇻🇪 Venezuela - 🇺🇸 United States • A Russian military aircraft linked to the Wagner Group and operated by Aviacon Zitotrans landed in Caracas amid heightened tensions with the United States. Capable of transporting military equipment, the aircraft is being monitored by the United States. Nicolás Maduro recently asked Vladimir Putin to supply him with radars, modernized aircraft, and missiles, with Moscow declaring its support in the face of threats from Donald Trump.

🇺🇸 United States - 🇺🇦 Ukraine • Donald Trump has stated that he is not currently considering the sale of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, although he believes that his decision could change (the Pentagon reported last week that such a sale would not significantly deplete US stocks).

🇰🇷 North Korea - 🇺🇦 Ukraine - 🇰🇷 South Korea • Two North Korean soldiers captured in January on the Ukrainian front in the Kursk region, where they were fighting alongside Russian forces, have requested asylum in South Korea from their prison cell. They say that returning to North Korea would be tantamount to a death sentence. South Korea is reviewing their request with Ukraine, as these two soldiers are the only North Koreans captured on the front since the fall of 2024.

🇮🇱 Israel - 🇱🇧 Lebanon • The ceasefire in Lebanon, agreed a year ago, has not prevented tensions from rising. The Israeli air force has intensified its strikes against Hezbollah, killing senior members of the movement and ordinary citizens. Last week, an Israeli drone threatening UNIFIL (the UN force) was shot down by the French army in southern Lebanon.

🇮🇱 Israel • Former army prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yeroushalmi has been arrested for authorizing the release of a video showing the abuse and rape of a Palestinian detainee. Five Israeli soldiers are accused of aggravated assault, sparking international outrage. The magistrate is charged with fraud, abuse of office, obstruction of justice, and disclosure of information.

🇵🇸 Palestine • The Gaza media office reported 194 ceasefire violations by Israel, which allegedly killed 250 people.

🇩🇪 Germany - 🇧🇪 Belgium • Air traffic was suspended in Bremen on Sunday evening due to the presence of a drone. A similar incident had already occurred in Berlin two days earlier. In Belgium, several drones were observed flying near the Kleine-Brogel military base over the weekend, without being successfully intercepted. Drone incursions at European airports have been on the rise in recent months. There are strong suspicions that Russia or its proxies are behind these destabilization operations.

🇹🇿 Tanzania • Samia Suluhu Hassan has been sworn in as president. She won more than 97% of the vote, according to the electoral commission, in an election criticized for its lack of transparency and marred by electoral violence.

🇨🇿 Czech Republic • Andrej Babiš, a Eurosceptic billionaire and winner of the last parliamentary elections, has signed a coalition agreement with two far-right parties.

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