Over 700 Pro-Palestine Protesters Arrested in US College Crackdown

By Al Mayadeen English

The United States has thus far arrested more than 700 pro-Palestinian protesters as universities all over the US are protesting the Israeli genocide.

Over 700 protesters have been arrested across college campuses in the United States since mid-April, fueled by growing frustration over Washington's support of the Israeli occupation's genocide that has been ongoing against Gaza over the past six months.

The rallies, predominantly led by students, have rippled across the nation, with The New York Times reporting a fresh wave of protests following the arrest of at least 108 demonstrators at Columbia University in New York City.

According to estimates by US media, since April 17, arrests have been made at various prestigious institutions, including 44 students at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut; 93 individuals at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles; 118 at Emerson College in Boston; 102 at Northeastern University, also in Boston; and 69 at Arizona State University in Tempe.

These demonstrations have seen paramount police brutality wherein police officers are assaulting and arresting students and even staff for peacefully protesting the Israeli genocide.

Protests ongoing despite suppression

Student protests advocating for Gaza and denouncing Israeli aggression persist across American universities. In a recent development, the administration of George Washington University notified protesters that their actions violated university policies.

On the other hand, students at the university rebuffed ongoing efforts to misrepresent the student movement by labeling it as 'anti-Semitic.'

From Washington to New York, New York University students established a new solidarity camp with Gaza following the removal of their previous camp in Gold Plaza by the police.

Students at Northwestern University in Chicago, USA, have joined a campaign of progressive sit-ins within scientific institutes, calling for an end to investments by various university administrations with "Israel."

Renewed confrontations between the police and students opposing the Israeli war on Gaza have sparked concerns about the use of violent methods to suppress protests. Hence, tensions have escalated since the arrest of dozens at Columbia University last week.

Activists report that in the past two days, law enforcement authorities, acting at the behest of college administrations, employed electric stun guns and tear gas against student demonstrators at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Meanwhile, police in riot gear and mounted on horses dispersed protesters at the University of Texas at Austin.

South Africa Extends Troop Deployment in Mozambique, DR Congo

THURSDAY APRIL 25 2024

Soldiers are seen on a vehicle in Sake, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on February 11, 2024. PHOTO | XINHUA

South Africa's military will extend the deployment of its troops in conflict-hit Mozambique and Democratic Republic of Congo, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement on Wednesday.

The extension, for an unspecified amount of time, will keep 1,198 personnel of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in Eastern DR Congo, where they are part of a UN peacekeeping force helping DRC fight rebel groups.

The statement also said that 1,495 SANDF members would continue their operations in Mozambique, where they have been supporting the government's fight against violent extremism in northern areas since 2021.

South Africa's military deployments abroad have come under domestic scrutiny this year, after two SANDF soldiers were killed and three wounded by a mortar bomb in Congo in February.

South Africa's main opposition Democratic Alliance party accused Ramaphosa of sending troops into a war zone unprepared.

Botswana Rejects UK’s Asylum Agreement Proposal

THURSDAY APRIL 25 2024

People, believed to be migrants, disembark from a British Border Force vessel as they arrive at Port of Dover, Dover, Britain on April 23, 2024. 

By VOICE OF AMERICA

Authorities in Botswana say they recently received proposals from the United Kingdom to send asylum seekers to the country. However, Gaborone rejected the deal.

In a bid to address increased illegal migration, the United Kingdom turned to proposals of sending asylum seekers to Africa, a deal which some British lawmakers say will benefit the host nations.

To date, Rwanda is the only African country that has agreed to the UK’s proposals.

The deal is scheduled to start in 10-12 weeks, according to Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Officials in Botswana say Sunak’s government attempted to extend a similar deal to the southern African nation as the one struck with Rwanda.

British authorities reached out, but Botswana could not commit to "hosting people not knowing what the end game would be," Lemogang Kwape, the country's Foreign Affairs minister, told VOA.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) NGO Working Group, an umbrella of civil society organisations, supports Gaborone's position on the UK's asylum proposal.

Kutlwano Relontle, UPR's program manager, says the coalition "calls on the government of Botswana and other countries to distance themselves from this controversial UK program, which appears to be aimed at protecting only some of those who are fleeing their countries on the basis of fear of persecution, and not others."

"We noted that in the case of the conflict in Ukraine, those seeking asylum were fast-tracked into the system, and citizens even encouraged to host them in their homes," Relontle added.

British authorities say the number of migrants crossing the channel in small boats has soared in recent years as people continue to flee war, the effects of climate change and economic uncertainty.

Official data shows that 45,774 migrants arrived in Britain in 2022 on small boats. The figure dropped to 29,437 last year as the government cracked down on people smugglers and reached an agreement to return Albanians to their home country.

Jonathan Portes, a professor of economics and public policy in the UK, says under the Rwanda arrangement, some deserving asylum-seekers will be turned away.

“There is a general view that the small boats crisis needs to be resolved, [as] that it is very dangerous and unacceptable for people to be arriving in such numbers across the channel, but that does not mean that the majority of the population want to send people, particularly people who would have a claim to refugee status, to Rwanda,” he told VOA.

The economics and policy expert said he is not surprised that Botswana turned down the UK’s proposal, particularly after it came under heavy criticism from the UN and other human rights groups.

Britain has already paid Rwanda £220 million as part of the agreement to host the deported asylum seekers. Sunak’s government has also agreed to pay the country an extra 150 million pounds over the next three years, and £120 million once the first 300 asylum seekers have been resettled, according to the National Audit Office (Nao).

Floods Leave Trail of Death and Destruction as Experts Warn of Looming Food Shortage

SATURDAY APRIL 27 2024

Residents of Mwiki area in Kasarani view a truck-mounted crane lift a lorry submerged in River Majimazuri on April 24, 2024. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NMG

By LUKE ANAMI

By EMMANUEL ONYANGO

By GILBERT MWIJUKE

General ImageBy MOSES K. GAHIGI

The past two weeks have been disastrous in East Africa as heavy rains caused floods leading to the loss of hundreds of lives, displacement of thousands and damage to property. A spot check by The EastAfrican shows that Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi have been worst hit by the storms, with highways and railways temporarily closed.

Experts warn that Tanzania, one of the sources of food to the region, will realise reduced yields by up to 30 percent due to the impact of the floods.

Government Spokesperson Mobhare Matinyi said 8,532 houses have been damaged in Morogoro and Coast regions and 76,698 hectares of farms destroyed.

The country’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told Parliament flooding had left at least 236 injured, while more than 10,000 houses had been damaged and upwards of 200,000 people affected.

“The heavy El Nino rains, accompanied by strong winds and flooding and landslides in various parts of the country have caused adverse effects,” Mr Majaliwa said.

The rains cut off movement between Kenya and Tanzania on the Nairobi-Namanga highway for the better part of Wednesday, after the Athi River burst its banks flooding a large part of residential and industrial areas in Kajiado and Machakos counties.

Red Cross and other volunteers rescued 96 people marooned in Athi River.

The matter is a subject of discussion in the Council of Ministers meetings going on in Tanzania.

“Flooding caused by the Athi River led to the temporary closure of the Namanga road and we, as East African Community ministers, are going to meet to discuss how to deal with floods,” said Peninah Malonza, Kenya’s EAC Cabinet Secretary, who is in Arusha to discuss the EAC budget for the financial year 2024/25.

“We are going to Arusha and later Dar es Salaam and we hope to have a meeting over the matter.”

The Kenya Meteorological Department issued a heavy rainfall advisory.

In Uganda, flash floods made movement on the Northern Corridor difficult.

Earlier this week, the Masaka-Mbarara highway – which is also Uganda’s main trade route to Rwanda and the DR Congo – was cut off by floods, paralysing traffic and trade.

A section of Kampala-Masaka highway between Busega and Kyengera, a few kilometres outside the city caved in on Sunday, according to the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) spokesperson, Allan Ssempebwa.

“We are experiencing a failure at the section of the highway, the drainage systems have collapsed… What we are doing right now is mobilizing materials and other necessary equipment to intervene as quickly as possible,” Mr Ssempebwa said.

The Masaka-Mbarara highway is an economic lifeline for Uganda because it is the main trade route connecting Uganda to Rwanda and the DR Congo.

The highway is one of the busiest in the country, with an estimated average daily traffic of more than 30,000 vehicles.

The southwestern part of Uganda is also the source of much of the food consumed in Kampala. Many traders were stranded on the road and made huge losses because their foodstuffs, especially bananas, were spoilt before reaching the market. Vehicles snaked through the rugged, potholed and narrow marram roads to reach or get out of Kampala.

“During this rainy season we know that anything can happen so we have put together an emergency response team that’s now always on standby to respond to flooding across the country,” Mr Ssempebwa said.

The Uganda National Meteorological Authority had announced that the country would receive above-normal rainfall in April.

This week, the Kyambogo-Banda road was also cut off while in the Industrial Area traders were left counting losses as they kept their shops closed due to flooding.

The National Meteorological Authority said on Friday that the country would continue to experience more rain and that the northern part of the country was at risk of floods.

“The country is experiencing isolated thundershowers. These conditions will continue with a few regions like West Nile, Midwestern, central North, Kyoga, and Kigezi getting sunny intervals. Eyes on the North which may get floods in lowlands,” the Authority said on X.

In Tanzania, by Wednesday this week, the government had announced the deaths of 63 people. The Coastal areas are particularly at risk, with the potential of flooding and disruptions to key economic activities such as fishing and maritime transport. The agency’s acting director-general Ladislaus Chang’a cited Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Morogoro, Mtwara and Lindi, including Mafia Island, as well as Pemba and Zanzibar as high-risk regions. Others are Mwanza, Masra, Simiyu, Kagera, Kigoma and Shinyanga.

Around the Rufiji River Basin, thousands of people residing in valleys and close to big rivers have been forcibly moved. The rains have caused landslides in Arusha and Manyara, where houses and road have been damaged.

In Dar es Salaam city, roads such as Morogoro Road near Jangwani and Mkwajuni in Kinondono suburb were temporarily closed.

Eight camps have been established in the Coast region to accommodate 1,529 flood survivors and one in Morogoro.

The government has provided 40,000 tonnes of foodstuffs such as maize and rice and medicines and medical equipment worth $83,588 were donated to the people in the camps.

In Burundi, Lake Tanganyika’s rising waters invaded the port of Bujumbura, disrupting business and making movement difficult for people and goods. Intense rainfall has affected various regions in Kenya, especially the Coast, Nairobi, Central, Western Highlands, Rift Valley, Lake Victoria Basin, Southeastern lowlands and the Northeastern region.

The rising waters of Lake Tanganyika have caused the Kanyosha River to overflow, damaging homes and other property in Bujumbura. Burundi’s Interior Minister Martin Niteretse called for support in managing the crisis.

“We ask our development partners to combine efforts with the state of Burundi to help all people affected by these disasters,” Mr Niteretse said.

In neighbouring Rwanda, 4,800 families, from 326 identified disaster high-risk zones have been moved to safety, as the country braced for floods.

Although no large-scale flooding has been reported so far, the authorities are not taking chances, especially as memories of the more than 130 lives lost a year ago still linger.

“We informed the people in disaster hot-spot areas beforehand, more than 4,800 families have been moved from these areas from 326 identified disaster high-risk zones,” said Adalbert Rukebanuka, director-general of risk reduction, planning, and mainstreaming at the Ministry of Emergency Management.

“At the moment we haven’t yet got many cases of disaster-induced deaths or destruction, we are getting few reports in different parts of the country, but we believe the worst is yet to come,” said the official.

UK Plan to Deport Asylum Seekers to Rwanda Morally Disgraceful

Wednesday, 24 April 2024 10:24 AM

Press TV

An inflatable boat carrying around 65 migrants crosses the English Channel on March 6, 2024.Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

Another overcrowded boat making the treacherous, sometimes deadly, journey to southern England from French shores. Five, including a seven-year-old girl didn't make it this time.

Tens of thousands of asylum seekers have made such voyages over the last two years.

The UK parliament has passed legislation that allows the government to deport desperate asylum seekers to the east African country of Rwanda.

The lives of many now hang in the balance as the British parliament passes legislation that allows the government to deport irregular migrants to the East African country of Rwanda, as they await their asylum applications to be processed.

My Lords, Rwanda is a safe country that has proven time and again its ability to offer asylum seekers a safe haven and a chance to build a new life.

In recent years, a series of UK politicians have sought to deport asylum seekers from Britain to Rwanda.

Last year, the UK's highest court blocked the planed deportations, deeming them "unlawful and risky."

A UK court has blocked government plans to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda.

In an attempt to circumvent the courts, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak proposed an updated law.

Critics say his priority is to improve his flagging poll numbers.

It is an electoral ploy, and that's all it is.

It's practically unworkable. It's morally disgraceful.

It's simply the end of a desperate Tory government trying to whip up a racist tidal wave that it hopes will save it from the next general election defeat, which it won't.

UK PM Rishi Sunak vows to start deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda in 10-2 weeks.

Some polls conducted prior to the vote found six in ten Britons, including conservative voters, thought the government should either accept some amendments to the random policy or scrap it altogether.

I think it's absolutely appalling. I don't see it's going to be a reasonable deterrent. People come here because they're desperate.

I think it's disgraceful. It is setting a terrible precedent and it's totally the wrong way to treat humans.

A plan by the UK government to forcefully send asylum-seekers to the East African Republic of Rwanda has come under harsh criticism by the UN refugee agency and international NGOs, with a migration expert saying the plan is “contrary to the letter and spirit of the Refugee Convention.”

The controversial law is expected to come into force within days and the first deportation flights to commence within weeks.

UN rights experts have warned airlines and aviation regulators against participating in the deportations which contravene international law.

ECHR President Siofra O’Leary warns the UK over Rwanda rulings.

Now that the bill has cleared the parliamentary hurdles, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak can declare victory, at least with regard to the legislative piece of the puzzle, but that is only the first step.

Experts and critics say that even if the flights to Rwanda get in the air, the prospects of stopping or deterring boats from arriving on British shores through the English Channel are heavily contested.

Tehran Economic Conference: President Raeisi Hails Iran-Africa Expansion of Ties

Friday, 26 April 2024 12:18 PM

Press TV

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi speaks during the 2nd Iran & Africa International Economic Conference on April 26, 2024. (Photo by president.ir)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says the Islamic Republic and the African nations are keen to strengthen ties between the two sides, noting that enhanced ties can form a complementary economy. 

Raeisi made the remarks during the 2nd Iran & Africa International Economic Conference on Friday at Tehran's International Conference Center. 

“This meeting is a symbol of the will of African nations and Iran to expand economic ties,” he told the gathering that hosted representatives from 30 African countries. 

Raeisi hailed the conference as an opportunity for both Iran and the African nations to get familiar with their mutual capacities.

“Despite threats and sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made good progress. The Islamic Republic can be called an advanced and technological country,” he said, stressing that getting familiar with the achievements of Iran in the field of emerging technologies is of “great importance.”

The president said Iran seeks to maintain ties with Africa based on mutual interest, unlike many Western countries that have "plundered" Africa’s resources. "Westerners want Africa for themselves but we want Africa for Africa."

Tehran believes that Africa has skilled labor forces and can achieve progress in many fields, including emerging technologies, he stressed.

President Raeisi says Iran seeks advancement of relations with African states on the basis of respect and mutual benefits.

Raeisi stressed the importance of formulating roadmaps for cooperation between Iran and the African continent and for cooperation between Iran and each African nation, with defined timelines.

He also emphasized the necessity of removing obstacles that hinder the two sides from expanding ties, including the problem of transfer of funds.

If Iran’s and Africa’s capacities are combined, “a complementary economy will be formed,” he stressed.

Senior officials, including economy ministers, are taking part in this edition of the conference that will wrap up its activities on Monday.

US to Pull Out Troops from Chad in Second African State Withdrawal

Saturday, 27 April 2024 12:58 AM

Press TV

The United States will withdraw some troops from Chad, the Pentagon has said, days after Washington agreed to move forces out of neighboring Niger.

The United States says it plans to withdraw part of its troops from Chad days after announcing the pullout of forces from neighboring Niger.

The withdrawal of about 75 US special forces is reportedly scheduled to begin this weekend and will be completed within days.

The US keeps approximately 100 troops in Chad, under the pretext of fighting extremism.

"USAFRICOM is currently planning to reposition some US military forces from Chad, a portion of which were already scheduled to depart," Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder told a news conference on Thursday, referring to the US Africa Command.

"This is a temporary step as part of an ongoing review of our security cooperation, which will resume after Chad's May 6 presidential election."

However, Sahel area countries have started to question the legality of the US military presence.

In March, Niger’s government also said it was ending a military cooperation agreement with Washington, saying US military presence was illegally imposed on Niger.

The country has also launched discussions with the US on ending its military presence in the African country.

This month Chad's air force chief had ordered the US military to halt activities at an air base near the capital N'Djamena, according to a letter sent to the transitional government.

He said he had asked the US military to provide documents "justifying its presence at the Adji Kossei Air Base" but had not received any.

General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno took power after his father, President Idriss Deby Itno, who ruled the country for 30 years, died during an operation against rebels in April 2021.

The military junta initially promised to hand power to civilians, however, in October, Deby's rule was extended for two years.

Sudan: Army Airstrikes Target RSF, Civilians Reported Killed

April 26, 2024 (EL FASHER) – Sudanese military aircraft conducted airstrikes on Friday targeting positions held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in several locations, sparking reports of civilian casualties.

Local sources informed Sudan Tribune that warplanes bombed RSF sites east of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, as well as Mellit, a town roughly 60 kilometers north. Additionally, airstrikes were reported near Al-Qatina locality in the White Nile State, south of Khartoum, resulting in the destruction of RSF armoured vehicles.

The paramilitary forces acknowledged the attacks on social media, posting video footage showing dead camels allegedly killed in the airstrikes.

Meanwhile, the Civil Democratic Forces Coordination (Tagadum) issued a statement condemning the air raid on Mellit, claiming civilian casualties and significant property and livestock losses.

Tagadum criticized the targeting of civilians and called for the reformation of Sudan’s military and security institutions. The statement highlighted a pattern of airstrikes targeting civilian infrastructure, including homes and property, across Darfur, Kordofan, Al-Jazira, and other regions.

They condemned the use of imprecise weaponry like barrel bombs, accusing the government of deliberately harming civilians outside its control.

Tagadum urged both sides to cease attacks on civilians, their areas of residence, and their property through airstrikes, ground assaults, or artillery shelling.

ARMY CLAIMS SUCCESSFUL AMBUSH

The Sudanese army reported a successful ambush against the RSF north of Khartoum Bahri.

A brief military statement on Friday claims the destruction of four fuel tankers, three combat vehicles, and unspecified enemy casualties.

The ambush reportedly targeted RSF stationed near the Khartoum oil refinery, about 70 kilometres north of the capital.

Eyewitnesses in Al-Kadro, the location of the ambush, reported thick smoke rising after the army targeted fuel tankers allegedly supplying the RSF.

Separately, the army reportedly used heavy artillery from positions north of Omdurman to target RSF concentrations in Khartoum Bahri. Smoke was seen rising from multiple locations on the eastern bank of the Nile where Khartoum Bahri is situated.

(ST)

Sudanese Army Says Downed Three Drones Targeting Merowe Airport

A Ukrainian soldier launches a Furiia model reconnaissance drone (Reuters photo)

April 26, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese army announced on Saturday that it had shot down three drones that attempted to target Merowe Airport in the northern state.

This attack comes 48 hours after the army reported engaging reconnaissance drones in the Umm Bakul area near Meroe and thwarting their mission.

A statement issued by the Guidance and Services Division of the 19th Infantry Division stated noted that, “Enemy forces targeted the airport with three suicide drones at 4:00 AM. Our forces successfully intercepted them with ground-based anti-aircraft weapons and shot them down. There was no loss of life or equipment.”

The statement reassured local citizens that the armed forces are fully prepared to handle any emergencies or unidentified objects in the airspace above Merowe and throughout the northern state.

On April 15, 2023, during the first day of the war, the Rapid Support Forces captured Merowe military airport.They reportedly destroyed a number of Egyptian Air Force fighter jets and captured soldiers before the Sudanese army regained control of the military base.

(ST)

Khartoum Says South Sudan Will Resume Oil Exports in Two Months

April 26, 2024 (JUBA) – Sudan on Friday said export of South Sudan’s crude oil using the Jabalyn pipeline through Port Sudan will resume in two months.

The Vice President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, Malik Agar said major efforts were being made to resume oil exports.

“Transportation of South Sudan crude oil via the Jabalyn-Port Sudan pipeline will resume in two months”, he told the U.S-sponsored Eye Radio.

A high-placed source at the Ministry of Petroleum separately told Sudan Tribune that efforts were being made to resume production and export through the Jabalyn pipeline

“You know oil is an international resource. It is not Sudan and South Sudan benefiting from it alone. You have Chinese, Russians, Malaysians, Indians, and even Americans in the mix”, said a South Sudanese diplomat with direct knowledge of the ongoing efforts to resume export.

He alleged that American companies, utilizing agents in the chain have all along been involved in the process of looking for markets for the sale of crude oil in the international markets.

Agar did not divulge what the two sides and companies were doing to resume export in two months.

Observers utilizing security and diplomatic knowledge and experience have cited a deal that companies on one side with the direct involvement and permission of the government of south Sudan and Sudan on the other reached to allow the technicians access to where disruptions have occurred for repair and maintenance of some facilities and stations.

South Sudan depends on the oil it exports through Sudan which has been experiencing instability since the military and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) started fighting each other in the middle of April 2023.

Regional and international efforts to mediate and end the conflict through a negotiated settlement have been slow, if not stalled.

(ST)

US Campus Crackdown: 500 Pro-Palestinian Protesters Arrested

Friday, 26 April 2024 7:17 PM

Police arrest pro-Palestinian students on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, on April 24, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

US police have arrested more than 500 protesters during a crackdown against pro-Palestinian protesters on university campuses across the country on Thursday.

Anti-riot police used chemical irritants and tasers against protesters, who set up camps in defiance of police warnings from Massachusetts to California, to protest against Israel's savage war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Protesters were arrested at schools including the Ohio State University, the University of Minnesota, Indiana University and Princeton University.

At Emory University in Atlanta, police clashed with protesters, including students from other Atlanta universities and area activists and arrested dozens of protesters, including faculty members.

Videos are shared on social media, showing officers using tear gas, tasers and handcuffs to detain protesters.

Emory's vice president for public safety Cheryl Elliott said in a statement that law enforcement "released chemical irritants into the ground" to disperse the crowd after protesters ignored multiple warnings.

She said 28 protesters had been arrested, including 20 members of the Emory community, "some of whom have been released."

"We are working with responding agencies to expedite the release of any Emory community members who remain in custody.”

At Emerson College in Boston, police also tore down an encampment there and arrested more than 100 demonstrators early Thursday morning.

Police detained 93 people at the University of Southern California.

And at The University of Texas at Austin, 60 protesters were arrested.

In the event, faculty members gathered at a rally and called for the school's president, Jay Hartzell, to resign after he praised law enforcement for exercising restraint against the protestors.

The latest arrests which followed others at Columbia, Yale, Brown and New York University, came as a growing number of students joined the protests after President Joe Biden approved $26 billion in war aid to Israel on Wednesday.

Across the United States, groups of students and activists are now demanding the leadership of their universities to cut financial ties with Israel, whose brutal war on the Gaza Strip has killed more than 34,300 people since early October.

Yemeni Armed Forces Strike British Oil Tanker, Shoot Down US MQ-9 Drone

Friday, 26 April 2024 11:16 PM

Britian's Marlin Luanda ship caught fire after Yemeni armed forces attacked it in January. (File photo)

The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces says it has carried out new operations against American and British targets in retaliation for their aggression on the country.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree said on Friday that Yemen’s naval forces struck a British oil tanker in the Red Sea with missiles.

Saree also said the military also shot down an American MQ-9 drone in Sa’ada province.

He added that the new operations were also a show of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, amid the Israeli genocide there. 

“The Yemeni Armed Forces salute all the people of Yemen for their faithful response to the call of the fighter leader Sayyed Abdulmalik Badr El-Din Al-Houthi, may Allah protect him, in their unprecedented large-scale interaction in support of our oppressed brothers in the Gaza Strip, affirming support for the Armed Forces in their military operations against the ‘Israeli’ enemy and against the American-British aggression supporting it in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Indian Ocean,” Saree said.

He stressed that the Yemeni armed forces will continue operations in the Red and Arabian Seas as well as the Indian Ocean until the Western-backed Israeli genocide comes to a halt.

Since the start of the brutal campaign in Gaza, the regime has killed more than 34,300 Palestinians and injured over 77,000 others. It has cut off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have been targeting Israeli vessels or those “associated” with the occupying regime in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea since October 7, 2023.

The regime ignited its bloody war machine in the besieged Palestinian territory on that October day in response to Operation Al-Aqsa Storm conducted by the resistance movement Hamas.

The maritime attacks have forced some of the world’s biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.

The United States and Britain have carried out fresh aggression on Yemeni soil by targeting the western province of Hudaydah.

Tankers are instead adding thousands of miles to international shipping routes by sailing around the continent of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal.

The pro-Palestine maritime campaign has also prompted airstrikes by the US and its allies on Yemen – in violation of the Yemeni sovereignty and international law.

In consequence, Yemen’s armed forces have declared US and British vessels as legitimate targets.

Terrorist Attacks Occur in Iran, Russia Due to US Support for Terrorism — Iran’s Top Brass

According to the news agency Tasnim, when speaking about NATO eastward expansion, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani emphasized that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states should utilize the SCO potential in order to neutralize common threats

© Russian Emergencies Ministry/TASS, archive

ASTANA, April 26. /TASS/. The terrorist attacks in Russia and Iran have stemmed from the support of terrorist groups by the United States and other Western countries, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu in Astana.

"The terrorist attacks in Russia and Iran are the result of support for terrorist groups by Western countries, especially by the United States," Ashtiani said, as quoted by the Iranian news agency Tasnim.

According to the news agency, when speaking about NATO eastward expansion, the Iranian defense minister emphasized that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states should utilize the SCO potential in order to neutralize common threats.

On the evening of March 22, a terrorist attack targeted the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, just outside the Moscow city limits. According to the latest data, 144 people were killed and 551 suffered injuries. Eleven people, including four gunmen, have been arrested in the case of the terrorist attack. The Russian Investigative Committee said that it had established the connection between the suspected terrorists and Ukrainian nationalists.

On January 3, 2024, the largest ever terrorist attack on Iranian soil occurred in the city of Kerman during a ceremony commemorating an anniversary of the death of General Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (an elite unit of the Iranian military). The death toll from the terrorist attack was 95.

US-oriented Structures Try to Reformat Security System in Asia-Pacific Region

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu underlined that this is being done by strengthening "military-political structures such as QUAD, AUKUS and the US-Japan-Philippines triad"

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

ASTANA, April 26. /TASS/. US-oriented military and political structures in the Asia-Pacific region, such as QUAD and AUKUS, are trying to transform the security system in the region into a US-centric one, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said.

"As for the Asia-Pacific region, here too we see systematic attempts to reformat the regional security system from ASEAN-centric to American-centric. This is being done by strengthening Washington-oriented military-political structures such as QUAD, AUKUS and the US-Japan-Philippines triad," Shoigu said at a meeting of SCO defense ministers in Astana.

According to the top Russian defense official, the "Taiwan factor" is being actively used to increase pressure on China.

Russia Warns US, NATO Against Harming its Security — Diplomat

Maria Zakharova stressed that "the level of nuclear risks have risen dramatically as a result of the West’s destructive policy, which is fraught with a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers"

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, April 26. /TASS/. Russia warns the United States and NATO against taking any actions that undermine its security, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"We are sending clear and unequivocal signals to the United States and NATO warning them about potentially catastrophic consequences of their policy toward jeopardizing Russia’s security," she said.

"Regrettably, the level of nuclear risks have risen dramatically as a result of the West’s destructive policy, which is fraught with a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers," she said, adding that Russia never stops efforts to ensure nuclear deterrence.

"Apart from that, Russia regularly reviews its doctrines to assess their relevance to the current threats," Zakharova noted. "Thus, the reliability and effectiveness of nuclear deterrence in Russia are ensured at a proper level and should not be doubted."

Russian Troops Wipe Out Military Train with Western Armaments in DPR Over Past Day

Russian troops improved their tactical position and repelled eight Ukrainian army counterattacks in the Avdeyevka area over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

© Russian Defence Ministry/TASS

MOSCOW, April 26. /TASS/. Russian troops destroyed a Ukrainian military train with Western armaments in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, missile troops and artillery destroyed a military train with Western armaments and military hardware near the settlement of Udachnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 67th mechanized brigade at a railway loading station near Balakleya in the Kharkov Region and struck enemy manpower and equipment in 112 areas," the ministry said in a statement.

Ukraine’s army loses 20 troops in Kupyansk area over past day

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 20 troops in battles with Russian forces in the Kupyansk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units gained more advantageous positions and inflicted damage by firepower on personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 3rd assault brigade near the settlement of Borovaya in the Kharkov Region. In addition, they repulsed a counterattack by an assault group of the Ukrainian army’s 408th separate rifle battalion near the settlement of Terny in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The enemy lost as many as 20 personnel and two pickup trucks," the ministry said.

In counterbattery fire, Russian troops destroyed a 152mm D-20 howitzer, a 122mm D-30 howitzer, a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system and a US-made AN/TPQ-36 counterbattery radar station in the Kupyansk direction over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russian troops improve frontline positions in Donetsk area over past day

Russian troops improved their frontline positions in the Donetsk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units improved their forward edge positions and inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 5th assault, 41st mechanized, 79th air assault and 46th airmobile brigades near the settlements of Maksimilyanovka, Katerinovka, Paraskoviyevka, Chasov Yar, Stupochki, Konstantinovka and Krasnogorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

In addition, Russian troops repulsed an attack by an assault group of the Ukrainian army’s 10th separate motorized infantry battalion near the community of Nevelskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, it said.

"The enemy’s losses amounted to 430 personnel, 2 armored combat vehicles, 6 motor vehicles and a drone control post," the ministry specified.

In counterbattery fire, Russian troops destroyed a Ukrainian 152mm D-20 howitzer, a 122mm D-30 howitzer, a US-made 105mm M102 towed howitzer, two Anklav electronic warfare stations, a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery radar station and four field ammunition depots, it specified.

Russian troops repel eight Ukrainian counterattacks in Avdeyevka area over past day

Russian troops improved their tactical position and repelled eight Ukrainian army counterattacks in the Avdeyevka area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units improved their tactical position in active operations and inflicted casualties on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 59th motorized infantry, 23rd and 115th mechanized brigades near the settlements of Novoaleksandrovka, Karlovka, Novgorodskoye and Arkhangelskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. In addition, they repulsed eight counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 25th airborne, 68th and 71st jaeger, 142nd infantry, 24th and 100th mechanized brigades near the settlements of Novokalinovo, Shumy, Berdychi, Semyonovka, Ocheretino and Netailovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

Kiev loses over 400 troops in Avdeyevka area over past day

The Ukrainian army lost more than 400 troops in battles with Russian forces in the Avdeyevka area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"The Ukrainian army lost as many as 415 personnel, an infantry fighting vehicle, 8 armored personnel carriers, 13 armored combat vehicles and 3 122mm D-30 howitzers," the ministry said.

Russian troops advance to better positions in south Donetsk area over past day

Russian troops took better positions in the south Donetsk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units gained more advantageous sites and inflicted damage by firepower on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 58th motorized infantry brigade and 1st National Guard separate brigade near the settlement of Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The Ukrainian army’s losses amounted to 105 personnel, 3 motor vehicles and 2 US-made 155mm M777 howitzers," the ministry said.

Russian troops strike three Ukrainian army brigades in Kherson area over past day

Russian troops inflicted casualties on three Ukrainian army brigades in the Kherson area where the enemy lost roughly 35 personnel and a British howitzer over the past day, the ministry reported.

"During the last 24-hour period, Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted damage by firepower on personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 117th mechanized, 121st and 126th territorial defense brigades near the settlements of Novodanilovka in the Zaporozhye Region, Respublikanets and Chervony Mayak in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Kherson direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 35 personnel, 2 motor vehicles, a British-made 155mm FH70 howitzer, 3 US-manufactured 155mm M777 howitzers, a 122mm D-30 howitzer and a US-made 105mm M102 towed howitzer, it specified.

Russian air defense forces shot down 193 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 2 rockets and 3 smart bombs over the past day, the ministry reported.

"During the last 24-hour period, air defense capabilities shot down 193 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, 2 rockets of the Olkha multiple launch rocket system and 3 French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs," the ministry said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 592 Ukrainian warplanes, 270 helicopters, 23,325 unmanned aerial vehicles, 509 surface-to-air missile systems, 15,856 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,274 multiple rocket launchers, 9,140 field artillery guns and mortars and 21,308 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

Ukraine’s Farm Minister is the Latest Corruption Suspect as Kyiv Aims to Undo Recent Russian Gains

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV

2:44 PM EDT, April 26, 2024

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian court on Friday ordered the detention of the country’s farm minister in the latest high-profile corruption investigation, while Kyiv security officials were assessing how they can recover battlefield momentum in the war against Russia.

Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ruled that Agriculture Minister Oleksandr Solskyi should be held in custody for 60 days. However, he was released after paying 75 million hryvnias ($1.77 million) in bail, a statement said.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau suspects Solskyi headed an organized crime group that between 2017 and 2021 unlawfully obtained land worth 291 million hryvnias ($6.85 million) and attempted to obtain other land worth 190 million hryvnias ($4.47 million).

Ukraine is trying to root out corruption and a dragnet over the past two years has seen Ukraine’s defense minister, top prosecutor, intelligence chief and other senior officials lose their jobs. That has been embarrassing as Ukraine receives tens of billions of dollars in foreign aid to help fight Russia’s army, and the European Union and NATO have demanded widespread anti-graft measures before Kyiv can realize its ambition of joining the blocs.

In Kyiv, patients were evacuated from a children’s hospital on Friday after a video circulated online saying Russia planned to attack it.

Parents lugged bags of clothes, toys and food while carrying toddlers and leading children out of Kyiv City Children’s Hospital No. 1, on the city’s outskirts. Medics helped them into a fleet of waiting ambulances to be transported to other facilities.

In the video, a security official from Russian ally Belarus alleges that military personnel were based in the hospital. Kyiv city authorities said that was “a lie and provocation.”

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said civic authorities were awaiting a security assessment before deciding when it was safe to go back to the hospital.

“We cannot risk the lives of our children,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks Friday with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the key international organization coordinating the delivery of weapons and other aid to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said he’d told members of the so-called Ramstein group that Ukraine needed long-range weapons, air defense weapons and artillery ammunition to reverse Russian gains on the battlefield. The Kremlin’s forces have gained an edge over Kyiv’s army in recent months as Ukraine grappled with a shortage of ammunition and troops.

“The one-to-ten ratio of our country’s artillery to the Russian army inspires Putin to fight on,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.” Our soldiers need artillery.”

Russia, despite sustaining high losses, has been taking control of small settlements as part of its effort to drive deeper into eastern Ukraine after capturing the city of Avdiivka in February, the U.K. defense ministry said Friday.

It’s been slow going for the Kremlin’s troops in eastern Ukraine and is likely to stay that way, according to the Institute for the Study of War in Washington.

However, the key hilltop town of Chasiv Yar is vulnerable to Russian onslaught, including glide bombs. The powerful Soviet-era weapons, originally unguided, have been retrofitted with a navigational targeting system to obliterate targets.

“Russian forces do pose a credible threat of seizing Chasiv Yar, although they may not be able to do so rapidly,” the Washington-based think tank said late Thursday.

It added that Russian commanders are likely seeking to advance as much as possible before the arrival in the coming weeks and months of new U.S. military aid, which was held up for six months by political differences in Congress.

While help from the United States was not forthcoming, Ukraine’s European partners did not pick up the slack, according to Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which tracks Ukraine support.

“The European aid in recent months is nowhere near enough to fill the gap left by the lack of U.S. assistance, particularly in the area of ammunition and artillery shells,” it said in a report Thursday.

Ukraine is making a broad effort to take back the initiative in the war after more than two years of fighting. It plans to manufacture more of its own weapons in the future, and is clamping down on young people avoiding conscription, though it will take time to process and train any new recruits.

___

Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

Burkina Faso Suspends BBC and Voice of America After They Covered a Report on Mass Killings

BY JESSICA DONATI

11:15 AM EDT, April 26, 2024

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Burkina Faso suspended the BBC and Voice of America radio stations for their coverage of a report by Human Rights Watch on a mass killing of civilians carried out by the country’s armed forces.

Burkina Faso’s communication spokesperson, Tonssira Myrian Corine Sanou, said late Thursday that both radio stations would be suspended for two weeks, and warned other media networks to avoid reporting on the story.

According to the report published by Human Rights Watch on Thursday, the army killed 223 civilians, including 56 children, in villages accused of cooperating with militants. The report was widely covered by the international media, including the Associated Press.

Burkina Faso, a once-peaceful nation, has been ravaged by violence that has pitted jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group against state-backed forces. Both sides have targeted civilians caught in the middle, displacing more than 2 million people, of which over half are children. Most attacks go unpunished and unreported in a nation run by a repressive leadership that silences perceived dissidents.

Earlier in April, the AP verified accounts of a Nov. 5 army attack on another village that killed at least 70 people. The details were similar — the army blamed the villagers for cooperating with militants and massacred them, even babies.

“VOA stands by its reporting about Burkina Faso and intends to continue to fully and fairly cover activities in the country,” the network said in a news article reporting on its suspension.

The BBC didn’t respond to a request for comment.

On Friday, the United Nations called on Burkina Faso to reverse the suspension of the two international broadcasters.

“Restrictions on media freedom and civic space must stop immediately. Freedom of expression including the right of access to information is crucial in any society, and even more so in the context of the transition in Burkina Faso,” it said in a statement.

In the same statement, the U.N. said it had received additional reports that large numbers of civilians, including children, had been killed in several villages in the Yatenga and Soum provinces of northern Burkina Faso. The AP couldn’t immediately verify those reports.

More than 20,000 people have been killed in Burkina Faso since jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and IS first hit the West African nation nine years ago, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a U.S.-based nonprofit group.

Burkina Faso experienced two coups in 2022. Since seizing power in September 2022, the junta led by Capt. Ibrahim Traoré has promised to beat back militants. But violence has only worsened, analysts say. Around half of Burkina Faso’s territory remains outside of government control.

Frustrated with a lack of progress over years of Western military assistance, the junta has severed military ties with former colonial ruler France and turned to Russia instead for security support.

United Methodists Endorse Change that Could Give Regions More Say on LGBTQ and Other Issues

BY PETER SMITH

11:23 AM EDT, April 26, 2024

United Methodist delegates have overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment seen by advocates as a way of defusing debates over the role of LGBTQ people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the international church.

Delegates voted 586-164 on Thursday for the “regionalization” proposal on the third day of their 11-day General Conference, the legislative body of the United Methodist Church, meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The plan would create multiple regional conferences — one for the United States and others covering areas ranging from the Philippines to Europe to Africa.

Existing regions outside the United States — known as central conferences — already have the flexibility to adapt church rules to their local contexts, but the jurisdictions in the United States do not. This constitutional change would give the U.S. church that flexibility, while defining autonomy more closely for all of the regions.

The vote total easily passed the two-thirds majority required for an amendment to the United Methodist Church’s constitution. To become official, however, it will require approval by two-thirds of total votes cast in its annual conferences, or local governing bodies.

If ratified, one effect of the change is that it could allow for the American church — where support has been growing for the ordination of LGBTQ people and for same-sex marriage — to authorize such rites, even as international churches with more conservative positions on sexuality would not.

“The big change this petition brings is really for our brothers and sisters here in the United States, where you would finally be given the right to decide things which only concern you among yourselves, the same right that we have enjoyed for a long time,” said Christine Schneider-Oesch of Switzerland, a member of the committee proposing the changes.

The measure comes during the first General Conference since one-quarter of U.S. congregations left the denomination over the past four years — most of them conservative churches reacting to the denomination’s failure to enforce rules against same-sex marriage and LGBTQ ordination.

Advocates hailed the proposal as a way of decolonizing a church some say is too focused on U.S. issues, though one opponent, a Zimbabwean pastor, said the details of the plan are reminiscent of colonial-era divide-and-conquer strategies.

LGBTQ issues weren’t central to the debate on Thursday, but they are expected to arise in the coming days at the General Conference. Some proposals would lift the current bans on ordaining LGBTQ people and on same-sex marriage.

“I believe that the values upon which worldwide regionalization is rooted will give renewed strength, life and vitality to the church,” said the Rev. Jonathan Ulanday of the Philippines. He said it gives autonomy while maintaining connection to the worldwide denomination, which he noted has been helpful in areas ranging from disaster relief to aiding Filipinos working abroad.

But the Rev. Forbes Matonga of Zimbabwe said the plan actually perpetuates colonial structures by creating multiple regional conferences in Africa along national lines, compared with a single one in the United States. He noted that many African national borders were created arbitrarily by European colonial mapmakers.

“It is this divide and rule,” Matonga said. “Create a region for Africans. Creates a platform for Africans so that we speak as a continent and not as small colonies.”

The Rev. Ande Emmanuel of Nigeria said he has been to multiple General Conferences and that many of the discussions are “U.S.-centric,” not relevant to African delegates. Regionalization would let each area of the church manage such issues, he said. “We are not here to control the Americans,” he said. “Neither are our brothers from America here to control us. We are trying to build a platform that is mutual. We’re trying to build an understanding that would move our church together.”

But in a small yet notable sign of fragmentation in the denomination, the General Conference also approved the departure of churches in several former Soviet countries which owed their growth in part to post-Cold War missionary work.

The conference approved the request of local conferences in parts of its Eurasia Episcopal Area — including Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan — to become independent. The departing conferences have 66 churches and 1,123 members, according to UM News.

While the reasons weren’t spelled out explicitly at the General Conference, the Russian-area churches are more conservative on matters such as LGBTQ issues.

Bishop Eduard Khegay, who leads the Eurasia area, alluded to both theological controversies and “geopolitical struggles between superpowers” in an address Thursday to the General Conference. He also thanked United Methodists for their years of help to the churches in the region and for enabling them to become independent in an orderly way.

“Sisters and brothers, I stand in gratitude for your decision,” Khegay said.

UN Warns Sudan Paramilitary Forces are Encircling a Capital in Western Darfur, Urges Against Attack

FILE - Sudanese Children suffering from malnutrition are treated at an MSF clinic in Metche Camp, Chad, near the Sudanese border, April 6, 2024. Many people here fled the fighting in Sudan's vast western region of Darfur, where attacks by the Arab-dominated Rapid Support Forces on ethnic African civilians have revived memories of genocide. Sudanese paramilitary forces are encircling the only capital they haven’t captured in the western Darfur region, the United Nations said Friday, April 26, warning that an attack would have “devastating consequences” for the city's 800,000 inhabitants. (AP Photo/Patricia Simon, File)

BY EDITH M. LEDERER

7:39 PM EDT, April 26, 2024

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Sudanese paramilitary forces are encircling the only capital they haven’t captured in the western Darfur region, the United Nations said Friday, warning that an attack would have “devastating consequences” for the city’s 800,000 inhabitants.

At the same time, the U.N. said, the rival Sudanese Armed Forces “appear to be positioning themselves.”

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres again called on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and government forces to refrain from fighting in the North Darfur area around its capital, El Fasher, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

The year-old war in Sudan between rival generals from the paramilitary and government forces who are vying for power has sparked “a crisis of epic proportions,” U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo said last Friday. It has been fueled by weapons from foreign supporters who continue to flout U.N. sanctions aimed at helping end the conflict, she said, stressing that “This is illegal, it is immoral, and it must stop.”

The U.N. humanitarian office said Friday that escalating tensions and clashes around El Fasher over the last two weeks have already resulted in the displacement of 40,000 people, as well as a number of civilian casualties.

“The security situation has effectively cut off humanitarian access to El Fasher,” the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs known as OCHA, said.

According to humanitarian officials, El Fasher is an important location to reach other parts of the vast Darfur region, including for aid shipments from neighboring Chad and via a northern route from Port Sudan on Sudan’s northeast coast.

“Currently, more than a dozen trucks with life-saving supplies for 122,000 people are stranded in Ad Dabbah in neighboring Northern State, as they cannot move onward to El Fasher due to insecurity and lack of guarantees for safe passage,” OCHA said.

Dujarric said the secretary-general’s personal envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, is engaging with the rival parties to de-escalate tensions, which are reported to have dramatically escalated.

OCHA also said it’s “imperative that the parties allow safe passage for civilians to leave El Fasher for safer areas.”

Sudan plunged into chaos in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo broke out into street battles in the capital, Khartoum. Fighting has spread to other parts of the country, especially urban areas and the western Darfur region.

The U.N.’s DiCarlo painted a dire picture of the war’s impact — over 14,000 dead, tens of thousands wounded, looming famine with 25 million people in need of life-saving assistance, and over 8.6 million forced to flee their homes.

During the war, the Arab-dominated Rapid Support Forces have carried out brutal attacks in Darfur on ethnic African civilians, especially the ethnic Masalit, and have taken control of most of the vast region – with El Fasher its newest target.

Two decades ago, Darfur became synonymous with genocide and war crimes, particularly by the notorious Janjaweed Arab militias, against populations that identify as Central or East African.

That legacy appears to have returned, with the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, saying in late January there are grounds to believe both sides may be committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide in Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces were formed from Janjaweed fighters by former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for three decades before being overthrown during a popular uprising in 2019. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and other crimes during the conflict in Darfur in the 2000s.

Yemen to Step Up Naval Operations in Indian Ocean: Sayyed al-Houthi

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Yemeni Armed Forces - Military Media

25 Apr 2024 18:44

The leader of the Yemeni Ansar Allah addresses a number of regional and international developments in a speech on Thursday.

The Yemeni Ansar Allah movement is working on reinforcing the country's reach toward the Indian Ocean, seeking to cut off the Israeli-affiliated ships from sailing on the Cape of Good Hope route or toward the Red Sea, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi revealed on Thursday. 

The Yemeni front will remain open and the Yemeni Armed Forces' (YAF) operations in support of Palestine will continue, Sayyed al-Houthi stressed during a speech in which he addressed the latest regional developments. 

The leader of the Ansar Allah movement emphasized that the expansion of the YAF's operations into the Indian Ocean was never taken into account by American, British, and Israeli authorities, or what Sayyed al-Houthi refers to as the "Triad of Evil." 

Initially, Yemen's military began supporting the Palestinian people and their Resistance by targeting Israeli occupation forces in long-range attacks, via barrages of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and one-way attack drones. 

However, answering the directives of Sayyed al-Houthi and the calls of the people of Yemen who participated in weekly million-man marches, the YAF expanded its operations to target Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, a critical maritime route. This led to detrimental effects on Israeli maritime operations, nearly putting the Israeli-occupied Eilat port out of business. 

Later, following the intervention of a US-led naval coalition force in the region, the Yemeni Armed Forces expanded their operations to target hostile US and British ships in the aforementioned waterways. As the Israeli genocide of Palestinian people intensified and Israeli ships reverted to the use of the Cape of Good Hope route, which circles the African continent, to reach the eastern Midterennean, Sayyed al-Houthi announced that the YAF will begin to target Israeli ships in the Indian Ocean, essentially working to cut off the only remaining route linking the occupation to East Asia. 

YAF's operations in numbers

In his speech, Sayyed al-Houthi released the latest tally of Yemeni operations in 202 days since the war on Gaza began. 

He revealed that in the aforementioned timeframe, the YAF targeted 102 vessels of different origins and types. On average, this means that the YAF has targeted nearly 1 ship every 2 days. However, it is worth noting that the Yemeni Armed Forces launched their operations in late November of 2023, which would award them a slightly higher average than announced. 

Sayyed al-Houthi said that the American-British-led alliance failed to achieve its goal of protecting shipping lanes in the Arabian and Red seas, despite the deployment of large forces and continuous and intense monitoring operations over Yemen. 

The Resistance leader pointed to the confession of the General Director of Eilat Port, built on the usurped Palestinian village of Um al-Rashrash, Gideon Golber, who labeled the facilities at the Eilat Port as "non-functional" on March 21 this year. 

Sayyed al-Houthi also said that the operations have led to a 22% downturn in Israeli exports and a more than 40% decrease in import numbers, due to the siege imposed by Yemen on the criminal Israeli occupation. 

Concurrently, the operations have resulted in an 80% decrease in the number of US ships sailing in the Red Sea. 

Gaza is defeating 'Israel', US

On the Palestinian Resistance's ongoing battle against Israeli occupation forces, Sayyed al-Houthi said that the revival of rocket launching operations, targeting Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip, is "clear evidence of the cohesion" of Palestinian Resistance fighters and the effectiveness of their operations. 

He also pointed to the large number of equipment and personnel losses incurred by the occupation, saying that this defeat encompasses both the "Israeli enemy and its American partner."

Sayyed al-Houthi shed light on the "reverse migration" of Israeli settlers, putting the phenomenon in stark contrast with the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. 

"The contemplation of half of the Zionists of immigration and leaving Palestine reflects the existential crisis and is an admission on their part they are merely usurping occupiers," Sayyed al-Houthi emphasized. 

Hezbollah's operations are precise and effective

Sayyed al-Houthi also addressed the operations of other supporting fronts, including the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah from South Lebanon. 

He said that military activities on the Northern Front are escalating and that "Hezbollah in its crucial and direct front" is conducting operations that are "precise, purposeful, and have an (effective) impact on the Israeli enemy."

"In enemy circles, voices on the extent of the dilemma that they are experiencing in confronting Hezbollah are rising," Sayyed al-Houthi stressed. 

"Hundreds of thousands of usurping occupiers are facing a huge problem, as they fear living in northern Palestine," the Resistance leader added. 

"No Israeli means were effective in stopping the [Hezbollah] or dissuading it from continuing its major and great role in supporting the people of Palestine," Sayyed al-Houthi explained.

Sayyed al-Houthi salutes protesters in the US

"The conscious (popular) movements toward Palestine are growing and expanding," the Resistance leader said. 

He specifically pointed to the protests taking place in universities across the United States in support of Gaza. 

"American authorities are dealing with protesters against the genocide crimes in Gaza with full severity, affirming that the official behavior toward protests in American universities is [unacceptable] and disregards all [alleged] norms," Sayyed al-Houthi added. 

In this context, he stressed that American authorities "do not respect their laws, constitution, or any principles they raise and boast about, like democracy, freedom of opinion, and expression."

He also noted that Washington "cannot tolerate hearing voices from within the United States calling for an end to crimes against the Palestinian people."

With Fear and Hope, Haiti Warily Welcomes New Governing Council as Gang-ravaged Country Seeks Peace

Ariel Henry resigned Thursday as prime minister of Haiti, leaving the way clear for a new government to be formed in the Caribbean country, which has been wracked by gang violence. (April 25) (AP/ Pierre Luxama)

BY DÁNICA COTO

7:28 PM EDT, April 25, 2024

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti opened a new political chapter Thursday with the installation of a transitional council tasked to pick a new prime minister and prepare for eventual presidential elections, in hopes of quelling spiraling gang violence that has killed thousands in the Caribbean country.

Ariel Henry, the prime minister who had been locked out of the country for the past couple of months due to the violence, cleared the way for the transition by presenting his resignation in a letter signed in Los Angeles.

The document was released Thursday in Haiti on the same day as the new transitional council was sworn in to choose a new prime minister and Cabinet. Henry’s outgoing Cabinet chose Economy and Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert as interim prime minister in the meantime. It was not immediately clear when the transitional council would name its own choice for interim prime minister.

The council was officially sworn in at the National Palace in downtown Port-au-Prince early Thursday as the pop of sporadic gunfire erupted nearby, prompting some officials to look around the room. The council had been urged to seek a safer venue because gangs have launched daily attacks in the area.

Addressing a crowded and sweaty room in the prime minister’s office hours later in Pétion-Ville, Boisvert said that Haiti’s crisis had gone on too long and that the country now found itself at a crossroads. The members of the transitional council stood behind him, and before him, the country’s top police and military officials as well as ambassadors and well-known politicians.

“After long months of debate ... a solution has been found,” Boisvert said. “Today is an important day in the life of our dear republic.”

He called the transitional council a “Haitian solution” and directing his remarks toward them, Boisvert wished them success, adding, “You are to lead the country to peace, to economic and social recovery, to sacred union, to participation.”

After the speeches, the soft clink of glasses echoed in the room as attendees served champagne flutes toasted with a somber “To Haiti.”

The council was installed earlier Thursday, more than a month after Caribbean leaders announced its creation following an emergency meeting to tackle Haiti’s spiraling crisis. Gunfire heard as the council was sworn in at the National Palace prompted worried looks.

The nine-member council, of which seven have voting powers, is also expected to help set the agenda of a new Cabinet. It will also appoint a provisional electoral commission, a requirement before elections can take place, and establish a national security council.

The council’s non-renewable mandate expires Feb. 7, 2026, at which date a new president is scheduled to be sworn in.

The council members are Emmanuel Vertilaire for Petit Desalin, a party led by former senator and presidential candidate Jean-Charles Moïse; Smith Augustin for EDE/RED, a party led by former Prime Minister Claude Joseph; Fritz Alphonse Jean for the Montana Accord, a group of civil society leaders, political parties and others; Leslie Voltaire for Fanmi Lavalas, the party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide; Louis Gérald Gilles for the Dec. 21 coalition that backs former Prime Minister Ariel Henry; Edgard Leblanc Fils for the Jan. 30 Collective, which represents parties including that of former President Michel Martelly; and Laurent Saint-Cyr for the private sector.

The two non-voting seats were awarded to Frinel Joseph, a pastor, and Régine Abraham, a former World Bank and Haitian government official.

Augustin, one of the council’s voting members, said that it was unclear if the council would decide to keep Boisvert on as interim prime minister or choose another. He said it would be discussed in the coming days. “The crisis is unsustainable,” he said.

Abraham, a nonvoting member, recalled the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, explaining that “that violence had a devastating impact.”

Abraham said that gangs now controlled most of Port-au-Prince, tens of thousands of the capital’s residents have been displaced by violence and more than 900 schools in the capital have been forced to close.

“The population of Port-au-Prince has literally been taken hostage,” she said.

Gangs launched coordinated attacks that began on Feb. 29 in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas. They burned police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport that has remained closed since early March and stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. Gangs also have severed access to Haiti’s biggest port.

The onslaught began while Prime Minister Henry was on an official visit to Kenya to push for a U.N.-backed deployment of a police force from the East African country.

In his resignation letter, Henry said Haiti would be reborn. “We served the nation in difficult times,” he wrote. “I sympathize with the losses and suffering endured by our compatriots during this period.”

He remains locked out of Haiti.

“Port-au-Prince is now almost completely sealed off because of air, sea and land blockades,” Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s director, said earlier this week.

The international community has urged the council to prioritize Haiti’s widespread insecurity. Even before the attacks began, gangs already controlled 80% of Port-au-Prince. More than 2,500 people were killed or injured from January to March, up by more than 50% compared with the same period last year, according to a recent U.N. report.

“It is impossible to overstate the increase in gang activity across Port-au-Prince and beyond, the deterioration of the human rights situation and the deepening of the humanitarian crisis,” María Isabel Salvador, the U.N. special envoy for Haiti, said at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday.

On Thursday, some Haitians said they didn’t know that the country had a new prime minister and a transitional council in place. Others warily celebrated the new leadership.

“We don’t ask for much. We just want to move about freely,” said Guismet Obaubourg, owner of a dusty convenience story who lamented that his merchandise has been stuck at the port for two months.

As for Boisvert: “I don’t know him personally, but as long as he does what he’s supposed to do, provide security to the country, that’s all that matters.”

In attendance at Boisvert’s swearing in Thursday was Dennis Hankins, the newly installed U.S. ambassador. He said Thursday’s events were an important step for Haiti.

“In crisis, the Haitians are able to do tremendous things, so we’re here to help them,” Hankins said. “We won’t be the solution, but hopefully we will be part of helping those finding the solution.”

As part of that, he said the U.S. government was working to enforce export controls on weapons, many of which have found their way to Haiti, fueling the violence.

“The fact that many of the arms that come here are from the United States is indisputable and that has a direct impact,” Hankins said. “It is something we recognize is a contributing factor to instability.”

Nearly 100,000 people have fled the capital in search of safer cities and towns since the attacks began. Tens of thousands of others left homeless after gangs torched their homes are now living in crowded, makeshift shelters across Port-au-Prince that only have one or two toilets for hundreds of residents.

At the United Nations Thursday, World Food Program Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau said Haiti is suffering from a security, political and humanitarian crisis that is causing acute food insecurity for some 5 million people, or about half the population. The U.N. defines that as “when a person’s inability to consume adequate food puts their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger.”

“The situation is dramatic,” Skau told reporters. “Devastating crisis, a massive humanitarian impact, the worst humanitarian situation in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake.”

Rachel Pierre, a 39-year-old mother of four children, living in one of the capital’s makeshift shelters, said, “Although I’m physically here, it feels like I’m dead.”

“There is no food or water. Sometimes I have nothing to give the kids,” she said as her 14-month-old suckled on her deflated breast.

Many Haitians are angry and exhausted at what their lives have become and blame gangs for their situation.

“They’re the ones who sent us here,” said Chesnel Joseph, a 46-year-old math teacher whose school closed because of the violence and who has become the shelter’s informal director. “They mistreat us. They kill us. They burn our homes.”

US to Pull Troops from Chad and Niger as the African Nations Question its Counterterrorism Role

BY TARA COPP

4:13 PM EDT, April 25, 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will pull the majority of its troops from Chad and Niger as it works to restore key agreements governing what role there might be there for the American military and its counterterrorism operations, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Both African countries have been integral to the U.S. military’s efforts to counter violent extremist organizations across the Sahel region, but Niger’s ruling junta ended an agreement last month that allows U.S. troops to operate in the West African country. In recent days, neighboring Chad also has questioned whether an existing agreement covered the U.S. troops operating there.

The U.S. will relocate most of the approximately 100 forces it has deployed in Chad for now, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday at a press briefing.

“As talks continue with Chadian officials, U.S. AFRICOM is currently planning to reposition some U.S. military forces from Chad, some portions of which were already scheduled to depart. This is a temporary step as part of the ongoing review of our security cooperation, which will resume after Chad’s May 6th presidential election,” Ryder said.

In Niger, the majority of the 1,000 U.S. personnel assigned there also are expected to depart, Ryder said. 

U.S. and Nigerien officials were expected to meet Thursday in Niger’s capital, Niamey, “to initiate discussions on an orderly and responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces,” the State Department said in a statement late Wednesday. Follow-up meetings between senior Pentagon and Niger officials are expected next week “to coordinate the withdrawal process in a transparent manner and with mutual respect,” Ryder said.

Called status-of-forces agreements, these deals allow the U.S. to conduct critical counterterrorism operations within both countries’ borders and have supported military partner training. The reversals have prompted concern that U.S. influence in Africa is losing ground to overtures from Russia and China.

Relations have frayed between Niger and Western countries since mutinous soldiers ousted the country’s democratically elected president in July. Niger’s junta has since told French forces to leave and turned instead to Russia for security.

Earlier this month, Russian military trainers arrived to reinforce the country’s air defenses and they brought Russian equipment, which they would train Nigeriens to use.

Niger plays a central role in the U.S. military’s operations in Africa’s Sahel region, a vast region south of the Sahara Desert. Washington is concerned about the spread of jihadi violence where local groups have pledged allegiance to al-Qaida and the Islamic State groups.

Niger is home to a major U.S. air base in the city of Agadez, about 920 kilometers (550 miles) from the capital, which is used for manned and unmanned surveillance flights and other operations. The U.S. also has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in training Niger’s military since beginning operations there in 2013.

Officials from the State Department, U.S. Africa Command and the Pentagon will work with Chad’s government to make the case for U.S. forces to continue operations, Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Adm. Christopher Grady said Wednesday.

Grady told The Associated Press in an interview that if both countries ultimately decide the U.S. cannot remain, the military will have to look for alternatives to run counterterrorism missions across the Sahel.

“If we are asked to leave, and after negotiations that’s the way it plays out, then we are going to have to recalculate and figure out a new way to do it,” Grady said.

The news of the departure of U.S. forces in Chad was first reported by The New York Times.