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Reds declare 2-day holiday ceasefire, a first in 4 years
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) ordered its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), to lay down its arms for two days, from 12:01 a.m. on Christmas Day to 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 26, to mark the group’s 55th anniversary. The ceasefire announcement came a month after the Nov. 23 signing by the.....»»
CPP-NPA announces 2-day ceasefire starting Christmas but will defend itself
The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) this Saturday declared a two-day suspension of tactical offensives against government forces in solidarity with the holiday season and the Party's 55th anniversary......»»
No holiday ceasefire with Reds
There will be no holiday ceasefire with the New People’s Army and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict will continue its military and non-military operations against communist rebels despite an agreement between the government and the National Democratic Front for peace talks to resume......»»
UN General Assembly calls for ‘humanitarian truce’ in Gaza
The UN General Assembly on Friday called by a large majority for an "immediate humanitarian truce" in Gaza, on the 21st day of the Israel-Hamas conflict as the Israeli army announced it was extending its ground operation into the shattered territory. The non-binding resolution, criticized by Israel and the United States for failing to mention Hamas, received 120 votes in favor, 14 against and 45 abstentions from UN members. Israel angrily dismissed the measure, and said the country would use "every means at our disposal" in confronting Hamas. "Today is a day that will go down as infamy. We have all witnessed that the UN no longer holds even one ounce of legitimacy or relevance," Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan said, telling the assembly: "Shame on you." "Israel will continue to defend itself. We will defend our future, our very existence by ridding the world of Hamas's evil so that it can never threaten anyone else again," he said. Hamas meanwhile welcomed the call for a break in the conflict. "We demand its immediate application to allow the entry of fuel and humanitarian aid for civilians," said a Hamas statement. The rival Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry said that as Israel's campaign "reaches a new peak of brutality," there was "a solid international position rejecting Israel's unhinged aggression". The text proposed by Jordan in the name of 22 Arab countries called for "an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities." An earlier version called for an "immediate ceasefire." Jordan's Ambassador Mahmoud Hmoud, just before the vote, stressed that: "It is not merely our responsibility, but a profound moral obligation to champion the cause of peace." Israel has heavily bombarded Gaza since Hamas gunmen stormed across the border on October 7, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 220 others, according to Israeli officials. The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, in an update on Friday, said the Israeli strikes had now killed 7,326 people, mainly civilians and many of them children. The resolution co-sponsored by nearly 50 other countries centered largely on the dire humanitarian situation in sealed-off Gaza as Israel presses on with its bombardment. The document urges "immediate" provision of water, food, medical supplies, fuel and electricity and unhindered access for UN and other humanitarian agencies trying to help the Palestinians. The draft condemns "all acts of violence aimed at Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including all acts of terrorism and indiscriminate attacks" but it does not mention Hamas. The resolution exposed a division within Western countries, with France voting for the measure; Germany, Italy and Britain abstaining; while Austria and the United States voted against. "It is outrageous that this resolution fails to name the perpetrators of the October 7 terrorist attack," US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said. "Another key word missing in this resolution is hostage," she added. The post UN General Assembly calls for ‘humanitarian truce’ in Gaza appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Our lives stopped’: Relatives plead for Israel hostages
Moran Betzer Tayar, wracked by anguish about the kidnapping of her nephew and his wife by Hamas fighters on October 7, summed up her feelings during a press conference: "On Saturday morning, our lives stopped." The 54-year-old, speaking in Paris on Wednesday, is on a European tour with other relatives of hostages snatched by the Palestinian militant group during a raid that killed more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians. Israel's retaliation has so far killed more than 6,500 people, including 2,704 children, Hamas says. The Islamists are still believed to be holding more than 200 hostages. It is the plight of these people that Betzer Tayar -- who says she is "worried sick" and cannot eat -- and her compatriots are desperate to keep in the public eye. She told a press conference organized by the Council of Jewish Institutions in France how her relatives were snatched from Kibbutz Nirim, where community members were reportedly besieged for nine hours in one of dozens of attacks staged on 7 October. 'They got me' Two sisters -- Shani and May Yerushalmi -- joined Betzer Tayar to describe how their sister, Eden, was taken from the bar where she was working. "She called us, screaming, saying that terrorists were shooting at them," said Shani Yerushalmi, describing the attack at a rave party where 270 people were killed. Eden hid among bodies of her friends in a car, her sister said, before trying to use a bush as cover. "She told us she could hear the terrorists coming," Shani Yerushalmi said. "We knew it was the last moment with her. Her last sentence was: Shani, they got me." She played the screams of her sister, recorded on her phone, to the gathered journalists. Another of the women on stage, Ofir Weinberg, described how her cousin Itay Svirsky was taken from Kibbutz Beeri, where Hamas fighters killed at least 100 people, according to Israeli authorities. Messages began to pour into the family WhatsApp group on 7 October -- the calls for help and the progress of the attackers documented minute by minute. "I can't even begin to describe the feeling you have when you feel like you're losing your family one by one," said Weinberg. The families have had no news of their loved ones since the Hamas attack. The Israeli army has confirmed only that they are among the hostages taken to Gaza. They are asking for the Red Cross to be allowed to visit their relatives to answer the most basic questions -- whether they are still alive, where they are, and whether they are hurt. But political questions remain taboo. Those caught in the middle of the tragedy decline to speculate on the best course of action for their loved ones: a ground invasion of Gaza or a ceasefire and negotiations. "We're not representing the country... We don't tell Israel what to do," said Ofir Weinberg. "I don't have the answers. I'm just a citizen." The post ‘Our lives stopped’: Relatives plead for Israel hostages appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UN says peacekeepers’ ‘lives in danger’ in Mali
UN peacekeepers made an early withdrawal from their camp at Tessalit in northern Mali because their "lives were in danger", the United Nations mission said Sunday. Malian troops on Saturday took over the Tessalit camp, the army said on social media, the first handover in the Kidal region where clashes with armed groups have flared recently. The withdrawal of the UN stabilization mission in Mali (MINUSMA) after 13 years has ignited fears that fighting will intensify between troops and armed factions for control of the territory. The pullout was completed "in an extremely tense and degraded security context putting in danger the lives of personnel", according to a MINUSMA statement received Sunday. UN staff had previously been "forced to shelter in bunkers several times because of shooting", the statement said. It gave the example of October 19, when an incoming fire targeted a C130 transport plane on landing at Tessalit. No injuries or serious damage were recorded. Before quitting the base, MINUSMA said it took "the difficult decision to destroy, deactivate or put out of service expensive equipment such as vehicles, munitions, generators, and other items". The last convoy left Tessalit on Saturday by road heading for Gao, the biggest town in northern Mali. Mali's ruling junta, which seized power in 2020, had in June demanded the mission leave despite being in the grip of jihadism and raging crises. The withdrawal of around 11,600 soldiers and 1,500 police officers is due to continue until 31 December and has exacerbated rivalries between armed groups present in the north. The Coordination of Azawad Movements -- an alliance of predominantly Tuareg groups seeking autonomy or independence -- has carried out a series of attacks on army positions. The Al-Qaeda-linked Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) has also increased attacks against the military. Before Tessalit, MINUSMA had transferred five other camps to the Malian authorities since August. But the evacuation of the camps in the Kidal region, and especially the town of Kidal, a separatist bastion, remains a major challenge. The separatists do not want the camps handed back to the Malian army, saying it would contravene the ceasefire and peace deals struck with Bamako in 2014 and 2015. The post UN says peacekeepers’ ‘lives in danger’ in Mali appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
What we know about the Hamas assault on Israel
Gun battles raged Sunday between Hamas militants and Israeli forces a day after the Islamist group launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza, in a dramatic escalation of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Hundreds of people have been killed on both sides since the Iran-backed Hamas launched the multi-pronged assault at dawn on Saturday, with Israeli forces fighting holdout militants and pounding the Gaza Strip with air strikes. This is what we know about the conflict so far: How it unfolded The army said hundreds of Hamas militants attacked Israel from around 6:30 am (0330 GMT) on Saturday, the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, in an assault that also came 50 years after the outbreak of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The Islamist group fired thousands of rockets into Israel from Gaza as its militants used explosives and bulldozers to break through the fence surrounding the blockaded Palestinian enclave. Using motorbikes, pickup trucks, motorized gliders, and speed boats, the militants streamed into Israeli urban areas including Ashkelon, Sderot, and Ofakim, which is about 22 kilometers (13 miles) from Gaza. The gunmen attacked a rave party attended by hundreds of young Israelis near Kibbutz Reim, close to Gaza, Israeli media reported. Israel said Hamas has taken more than 100 hostages in Israel. They include an unknown number of Americans and Germans. The militants overran several locations inside Israel, including a Sderot police station where they engaged in a shootout with Israeli forces on Sunday. How Israel is responding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to reduce to "rubble" Hamas hideouts in Gaza, an impoverished enclave of 2.3 million people hemmed in by an Israeli blockade for more than 15 years. The army said it has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers to fight the militants who were still "on the ground" Sunday on Israel territory. It has also carried out air strikes on Hamas positions inside Gaza, in an operation it has dubbed "Swords of Iron". Army spokesman Richard Hecht said the air raids had struck 800 targets including Gaza tunnels, buildings, and other infrastructure. The military said it aims to rescue Israeli hostages and then evacuate the entire region within 24 hours. Almost 1000 killed Israel says Hamas gunmen have killed more than 600 people and wounded over 2,000 in Israeli cities, towns, and kibbutz communities. AFP journalists have seen the bullet-riddled bodies of civilians lying on the streets in at least three locations in Israel: the city of Sderot, the nearby kibbutz of Gevim, and Zikim beach north of the Palestinian coastal enclave. An unknown number of people were reportedly killed at the rave. On the Gaza side, at least 370 people have been killed and more than 2,200 wounded, taking the combined toll to almost 1,000 dead. A British man who had been serving in Israel's army was among those killed in the Hamas attack, his family said. Two Ukrainian women who had been living in Israel were also killed, Ukraine said. Thailand has said two of its citizens were killed, while Cambodia reported the death of a Cambodian student. What Hamas said about the offensive Hamas said it fired 5,000 rockets in an offensive it has branded "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood". Its chief Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday vowed to press ahead with "the battle to liberate our land and our prisoners languishing in occupation prisons". Hamas has called on "resistance fighters in the West Bank" as well as in "Arab and Islamic nations" to join the battle. Early on Sunday, Lebanon's Iran-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah said it launched missiles and artillery shells into northern Israel "in solidarity" with the Hamas offensive. The Israeli army said it retaliated with artillery fire. Elsewhere, media outlets in Egypt said a policeman opened fire on an Israeli tour group in the northern city of Alexandria on Sunday, killing two Israelis and one Egyptian. How the world has reacted United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned "in the strongest terms" Hamas' attack on Israel and called for "diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider conflagration". The West, much of which has designated Hamas a "terrorist" organization, has also condemned the Islamist group's assault on Israel. President Joe Biden said the United States support for its key ally Israel was "rock solid and unwavering". The White House said on Sunday he had ordered "additional support" for Israel. The European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said: "I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel." Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said the Islamic Republic supported the Palestinians' right to self-defense and warned Israel must be held accountable for "endangering the security of nations in the region". Russia has called for an "immediate ceasefire". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who strongly supports the Palestinian cause, on Sunday urged both sides "to support peace". Saudi Arabia appealed for an "immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides, protection of civilians, and self-control". The post What we know about the Hamas assault on Israel appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Azerbaijan claims victory after Karabakh separatists surrender
Azerbaijan said Wednesday it had regained control over breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time in decades after separatist Armenian fighters agreed to lay down their arms in the face of a military operation. The stunning collapse of separatist resistance represents a major victory for Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in his quest to bring the Armenian-majority Nagorno-Karabakh back under Baku's control. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the mountainous region since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The years of conflict have been marked by abuses on both sides, and there are concerns of a fresh refugee crisis as Karabakh's Armenian population fears being forced out. A day after Azerbaijan launched its military operation in the region, Baku and the ethnic Armenian authorities in Karabakh announced a ceasefire deal had been brokered by Russian peacekeepers to stop the fighting. "Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty as a result of successful anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh," Aliyev said in a televised address. Aliyev claimed that most of the Armenian forces in the region had been destroyed and said the withdrawal of separatist troops had already begun. The attack left "at least 200 killed and more than 400 wounded," Nagorno-Karabakh separatist official Gegham Stepanyan said. Late on Wednesday, Armenia's defence ministry said that Azerbaijan had fired on its positions along the border between the arch-foes. Such skirmishes are frequent along the border. Truce deal Under the truce deal, the separatists said they had agreed to fully dismantle their army and that Armenia would pull out any forces it had in the region. Azerbaijan's defence ministry said that "all weapons and heavy armaments are to be surrendered" under the supervision of Russia's 2,000-strong peacekeeping force on the ground. Both sides said talks on reintegrating the breakaway territory into the rest of Azerbaijan would be held on Thursday in the city of Yevlakh. President Vladimir Putin said Russian peacekeepers would mediate the talks. Moscow has said several of members of its force in Karabakh were killed when the car they were travelling in came under fire. Latest violence Baku's operation marked the latest violence over the rugged territory. After the Soviet Union fell apart, Armenian separatists seized the region -- internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan -- in the early 1990s. The war left 30,000 people dead and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes. In a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured swathes of territory in and around the region. President Aliyev on Wednesday praised the "political competence" of his country's historic rival. "The developments that took place yesterday and today will have a positive impact on the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said. Azerbaijani presidential foreign policy advisor Hikmet Hajiyev promised safe passage for the separatists who surrendered and said Baku sought the "peaceful reintegration" of Karabakh Armenians. A separatist official said over 10,000 people have been evacuated from Armenian communities in Nagorno-Karabakh and "forced to find a shelter" elsewhere in the territory. Russia's President Putin said he hoped for a "peaceful" resolution, adding that Moscow has been in contact with all sides in the conflict. Putin held talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Wednesday evening, but the Kremlin insisted the crisis was "Azerbaijan's internal affair". 'War is over' Jubilant residents in Azerbaijan's capital expressed hope the deal heralded a definitive victory and the end of the decades-long conflict. "I was very happy with this news. Finally, the war is over," 67-year-old pensioner Rana Ahmedova told AFP. In Armenia, there was fury at a second defeat in Karabakh in three years. Clashes broke out in Armenia's capital Yerevan, where thousands of protesters waving the separatist region's flag blocked a main road and riot police guarded official buildings. Demonstrators threw bottles and stones at police as they slammed the government's handling of the crisis, while officers used stun grenades and made arrests. The loss in Karabakh ratchets up domestic pressure on Pashinyan, who has faced stinging criticism at home for making concessions to Azerbaijan since the 2020 defeat. "We are losing our homeland, we are losing our people," said Sargis Hayats, a 20-year-old musician. Pashinyan "must leave, time has shown that he cannot rule. No one gave him a mandate for Karabakh to capitulate," he said. The Armenian leader has insisted that his government had not been involved in drafting the latest ceasefire deal. Again denying his country's army was in the enclave, he said he expected Russia's peacekeepers to ensure Karabakh's ethnic-Armenian residents could stay "in their homes, on their land". International pressure Azerbaijan's assault came as Moscow, the traditional power broker in the region is bogged down and distracted by its war on Ukraine, which has left it isolated in the West. But its peacekeepers there appeared to have played a key role in helping to negotiate the ceasefire and will now oversee its implementation. Turkey, a historic ally of predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan that views mostly Christian Armenia as one of its main regional rivals, had called the operation "justified". The EU and United States have been mediating talks between Baku and Yerevan in recent months aimed at securing a lasting peace deal between the two foes. The White House said Wednesday it was concerned by the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. "We're obviously still watching very, very closely the worsening humanitarian situation inside Nagorno-Karabakh," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. He added the situation "has been exacerbated by the hostilities perpetrated by Azerbaijan" in Karabakh, where there are now fears of a refugee crisis. The post Azerbaijan claims victory after Karabakh separatists surrender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Armenia holds drills with US amid rift with Russia
The United States and Armenia opened military drills on Monday, the latest sign of Yerevan drifting from Moscow's orbit as Russia's invasion of Ukraine reshapes post-Soviet relations. The exercises come amid mounting frustration in Armenia over what it sees as Russia's failure to act as a security guarantor amid mounting tensions with its historic rival Azerbaijan. Exercise Eagle Partner opened with some 85 US soldiers to train around 175 Armenian soldiers through September 20, according to the US Army Europe and Africa Command. Armenia's defense ministry said the exercises aimed to "increase the level of interoperability" with US forces in international peacekeeping missions. The US military said the drills would help Armenia's 12th Peacekeeping Brigade meet NATO standards ahead of an evaluation later this year. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Armenia's decision not to conduct drills with the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) alliance and instead work with the United States required "very deep analysis". "Of course, we will try to comprehend and understand all this. But in any case we will do so in close partnership dialogue with the Armenian side," he said. The United States brushed off the Kremlin critique and pointed to Russia's wars with both Ukraine and Georgia. "I think that given Russia has invaded two of its neighbors in recent years, it should refrain from lecturing countries in the region about security arrangements," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. He said that the United States has had security cooperation with Armenia since 2003 and called the latest drill "a routine exercise that is in no way tied to any other events." But Moscow last week summoned Armenia's ambassador to complain about "unfriendly steps" the country was taking. The ministry said Armenia's envoy was given a "tough" rebuke but insisted that the countries "remain allies." "It sounded more like a threat to Yerevan than a description of reality," said Gela Vasadze, an independent political analyst. "In fact, Russian-Armenian relations have reached a strategic impasse," he told AFP. 'Weakened Russia' In Yerevan, residents expressed frustration over Russia's lack of military and political support as tensions with Azerbaijan flared again. Mariam Anahamyan, 27, told AFP that Armenia had made a mistake by "pinning its hopes on the Russians". "So now let's try with the Americans. The consequences may be bad but not trying would be even worse," she said. For Arthur Khachaduryan, a 51-year-old security guard, "Russia failed to keep its commitments during the war and has even made our situation worse." He was referring to a brief but bloody conflict in 2020 for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a separatist region in Azerbaijan. Russia brokered a ceasefire and deployed 2,000 peacekeepers to the Lachin corridor, which connects Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. But Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently said Moscow was either "unable or unwilling" to control the passage. His government has accused Azerbaijan of closing the road and blockaded the mountainous region, spurring a humanitarian crisis in Armenian-populated towns. Pashinyan also recently claimed that Armenia's historic security reliance on Russia was a "strategic mistake". Bogged down in its invasion and isolated on the world stage, "weakened Russia is rapidly losing influence in its Soviet-era backyard", said independent analyst Arkady Dubnov. "Armenians are frustrated with Russia, which failed to help them during the Karabakh war and its aftermath," he said, adding that Moscow "also seems to be lacking a clear plan, strategy in the Caucasus". 'New allies' Nagorno-Karabakh was at the centre of two wars between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In the 1990s, Armenia defeated Azerbaijan and took control of the region, along with seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan. Thirty years later, energy-rich Azerbaijan, which built a strong military and secured the backing from Turkey, took revenge. After the 2020 war, Yerevan was forced to cede several territories it had controlled for decades. The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains volatile and Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of moving troops near the region recently, raising the spectre of a fresh large-scale conflict. The European Union and United States have taken a lead role in mediating peace talks but have so far failed to bring about a breakthrough. "The Kremlin has no resources -- neither the will -- to help Armenia and is letting Azerbaijan and Turkey to pursue their objectives," Dubnov said. "In that situation, Armenia is trying to forge strong new alliances." The post Armenia holds drills with US amid rift with Russia appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Georgia PM slams Russia on 2008 war anniv
Georgia on Tuesday marked the anniversary of a 2008 war with Russia that killed 400 citizens with its prime minister calling Moscow an “aggressor.” “We have known for a long time that Russia was an aggressor, we know that and the whole world knows that,” Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said at a wreath-laying ceremony to remember the dead at a cemetery in the capital Tbilisi. Russia sent thousands of troops into Georgia on 8 August 2008 after Tbilisi launched a large-scale military operation against South Ossetian separatists who had been shelling Georgian villages. Russia routed Georgia’s small army, occupying large swathes of territory for five days before a ceasefire was mediated by the then French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who authorized the military action in 2008, defended Moscow’s actions in a statement marking the anniversary. “Our armed forces quickly and harshly punished the arrogant nationalists in five days,” he said on social media. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed solidarity with Tbilisi. “I thank all Georgian citizens who are defending freedom with us,” Zelensky said on Monday. WITH AFP The post Georgia PM slams Russia on 2008 war anniv appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
$1.5 bn pledged to curb Sudan’s slide into ‘death and destruction’: UN
Donors at a UN conference on Monday pledged close to $1.5 billion to combat the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and help its neighbours host refugees fleeing the fighting. Sudan is descending into death and destruction at an unprecedented speed, UN chief Antonio Guterres said as he urged donors to step in and curb the unfolding catastrophe. The conference comes midway through a three-day ceasefire which appeared to have brought calm to the capital Khartoum, after the failure of earlier truces to ensure secure aid corridors. "Today, donors have announced close to $1.5 billion for the humanitarian response to Sudan and the region," the UN's humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said, closing the hybrid pledging conference hosted in Geneva. "This crisis will require sustained financial support and I hope that we can all keep Sudan at the top of our priorities." UN refugees chief Filippo Grandi added: "It is very important that now these contributions be clearly allocated and disbursed as quickly as possible because we're really short of funds in this particular emergency." More than two months into the fighting, the United Nations is worried that the crisis could spill over and destabilise neighbouring African states. "The scale and speed of Sudan's descent into death and destruction is unprecedented," UN Secretary-General Guterres told the conference. "Without strong international support, Sudan could quickly become a locus of lawlessness, radiating insecurity across the region." Since April 15, the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, after the two fell out in a power struggle. The death toll has topped 2,000, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said. Hundreds of kilometres west of Khartoum, up to 1,100 have been killed in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina alone, according to the US State Department, blaming "primarily" the RSF. "The situation in Darfur and Khartoum is catastrophic," Guterres said. A record 25 million people -- more than half of Sudan's population -- are in need of aid, according to the UN. Roughly 2.5 million people have been uprooted across Sudan by the war, which has forced around 550,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, according to UN figures. Around $3 billion needed While Griffiths highlighted donors' generosity, the amount pledged Monday was less than half of what humanitarians have said is needed this year to respond to the dire needs. The UN has two appeals for tackling the crisis -- the humanitarian response within Sudan, which needs $2.6 billion this year, and the regional refugee response, which needs $470 million. Both were less than 17 per cent funded going into Monday's conference. Qatar's prime minister told the conference there was "no military solution" to the conflict, as he pledged $50 million. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani urged the warring parties to "put the aspirations of the Sudanese people in the forefront". Germany doubled its existing donation to 200 million euros ($218 million), while the European Union pledged 190 million euros in humanitarian and development assistance. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the conflict risks a humanitarian crisis that could spill over the borders. He said the security and stability of Sudan "is our own stability and security". Relative calm in Khartoum UN human rights chief Volker Turk called the Sudan crisis a "powder keg" and a "reckless, senseless conflict taking place in a context of total impunity", with "utter indifference for human life and dignity" at its heart. The temporary ceasefire was a chance to end the "sea of suffering", he told the UN Human Rights Council. Several Khartoum residents told AFP they heard no air strikes, artillery or another fighting on Monday, a rare respite for the war-weary, suffering shortages of medical care, electricity, water and other essentials. The UN, African Union and East African regional bloc IGAD, in a joint statement ahead of the donors' meeting, expressed particular concern about "the rapidly deteriorating situation in Darfur". They said the conflict had "taken on an ethnic dimension, resulting in targeted attacks based on people's identities and subsequent displacement of communities". With their 72-hour ceasefire both the RSF and army "agreed to allow the unimpeded movement and delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout the country", US and Saudi mediators said on Saturday. The post $1.5 bn pledged to curb Sudan’s slide into ‘death and destruction’: UN appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Give LPE a chance
Newly appointed Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro made a deeply rooted statement about the peace talks between the Philippine government and communist rebels that have dragged on for several decades, with intermittent periods of very little progress and setbacks. Without mincing words, Teodoro said he had always been against entering into peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army. This is equally consistent with his position that communist rebels are welcome to return to the government fold given an existing program that offers “to help them, rehabilitate them and give them a new life.” Why is this so? For Teodoro, why engage in peace talks when there is Task Force Balik-Loob — a central coordinating body created by Administrative Order No. 10 dated 3 April 2018 that supervises the government’s reintegration efforts for members of the CPP-NPA-NDF, including their immediate family members. The task force is composed of representatives from the DND, DILG, OPAPRU, and other partner government agencies. I couldn’t agree with the Defense Secretary more. In a recent television interview, he said he was never convinced that the Philippine insurgency — the longest-running in Asia — was ideological. His explanation was clear. “This is all about taking power or whatever. The reason, even in other countries, the sole authority of the Communist Party in other countries is a dictatorship in itself. They call it the dictatorship of the proletariat.” We have in front of us a duplicity of the communist agenda — a pro-people advocacy on one hand, and the overthrow of the government on the other. The history of the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front, CPP’s political wing, is long and complex spanning several decades. When Corazon C. Aquino assumed the presidency after the People Power Revolution in 1986, peace talks were initiated and detained top communist leaders, including Jose Maria Sison and Bernabe Buscayno, were released. Since then, there have been several attempts at peace negotiations between the government and the Reds, facilitated by third-party mediators, including the Catholic Church, various civil society groups, and foreign governments. The most recent attempt at peace talks was in 2016 during the first year in office of then-President Rodrigo Duterte. It, however, broke down in 2017 after both sides accused the other of violating the ceasefire agreement. Duterte, exasperated by the insincerity, formally terminated the peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA in 2018 through Proclamation 360. Despite this, there have been sporadic calls for the resumption of the peace talks, particularly from civil society groups and the international community. More than 40 rounds of peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF since 1986 proved futile, marred by spoilers who used violence to attack the peace process. Or were these attempts aimed at forcing their way into negotiations, and alter a process so that their demands would be included in a settlement? Opinions vary, often dependent on political, social, and ideological perspectives. While some people argue that pursuing peace talks is the best way to end the decades-long armed insurgency, others are skeptical about the prospects as evidenced by the little willingness to negotiate in good faith, human rights violations, coupled with unreasonable and unrealistic demands. Peace is a priority for more than 110 million Filipinos who hope to see an end to the decades-long insurgency in the country. If top-level negotiated settlements fail, there is the Localized Peace Engagement or LPE — a viable alternative solution to the armed conflict. Introduced by the national government in 2017 after the breakdown of the peace negotiations with the Reds, let us give this community-based approach to peacebuilding a chance. After all, who wouldn’t want to address the underlying social, economic, and political grievances that fuel armed conflicts? The post Give LPE a chance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Warring generals agree to new truce
Sudan’s warring generals have agreed to a 24-hour ceasefire from Saturday, United States and Saudi Arabia mediators said on Friday. The ceasefire starts at 6 a.m. of 10 June, according to a joint statement from the mediators released by the Saudi foreign ministry on Friday. “Should the parties fail to observe the 24-hour ceasefire, facilitators will be compelled to consider adjourning” talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah which have been suspended since late last month, the mediators said. Multiple truces have been agreed and broken since fighting erupted on 15 April and Washington had slapped sanctions on both rival generals after the last attempt collapsed at the end of May. The army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said it has “agreed to the proposal” adding in a statement it “declares its commitment to the ceasefire.” The paramilitary RSF, commanded by Burhan’s former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, later said in a statement: “We affirm our full commitment to the ceasefire.” Both statements said the truce could support humanitarian efforts, while cautioning against violations by their opponents. “If observed, the 24-hour ceasefire will provide an important opportunity... for the parties to undertake confidence-building measures which could permit resumption of the Jeddah talks,” the US-Saudi statement said. The fighting of the two generals has gripped the capital Khartoum and the western region of Darfur, killing upwards of 1,800 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. Nearly two million people have been displaced, including 476,000 who have sought refuge in neighboring countries, the United Nations said. The post Warring generals agree to new truce appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US imposes economic, visa sanctions over violence in Sudan
The White House on Thursday announced economic and visa sanctions against Sudanese leaders responsible for breaking a ceasefire and provoking "appalling" bloodshed. "We are following through by levying economic sanctions, imposing visa restrictions against actors who are perpetuating the violence," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. "Despite a ceasefire agreement, senseless violence has continued across the country -- hindering the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and hurting those who need it most. The scope and scale of the bloodshed in Khartoum and Darfur, in particular, is appalling," Sullivan said. Failure by the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces "to abide by the ceasefire only further deepens our concern that the people of Sudan will once again face a protracted conflict and widespread suffering at the hands of the security forces." Sullivan noted that the sanctions are being enacted under the authority ordered by President Joe Biden in May. The post US imposes economic, visa sanctions over violence in Sudan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Air strikes shake Khartoum as Sudan rivals agree 1-week ceasefire
Air strikes and artillery exchanges shook the Sudanese capital Saturday and armed men ransacked the Qatari embassy as the country's warring generals kept up their struggle for control even as they agreed to a brief humanitarian pause. With heavy fighting raging in Khartoum, the rival sides struck a deal on a seven-day ceasefire beginning the evening of May 22, the United States and Saudi Arabia said Saturday in a joint statement after talks in Jeddah. The ceasefire "shall remain in effect for seven days and may be extended with the agreement of both parties," it said. Multiple announced truces have been violated since fighting broke out five weeks ago, which the Saudi foreign ministry acknowledged in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency early Sunday. "Unlike previous ceasefires, the Agreement reached in Jeddah was signed by the parties and will be supported by a US-Saudi and international-supported ceasefire monitoring mechanism," it said. It said subsequent talks "will focus on additional steps necessary to improve security and humanitarian conditions for civilians such as vacating forces from urban centers, including civilian homes, accelerating removal of impediments to the free movement of civilians and humanitarian actors, and enabling public servants to resume their regular duties." The power struggle between regular army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, erupted into fighting on April 15. The conflict has killed hundreds of people, most of them civilians, and displaced more than one million. The United Nations has warned of a fast-deteriorating humanitarian situation in Africa's third-largest country, where one in three people already relied on aid before the war. Saturday's ceasefire announcement comes two weeks after representatives of the warring generals first gathered in Jeddah for talks. By May 11 they had signed a commitment to respect humanitarian principles and allow in badly needed aid. But UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told AFP on Thursday that there had been "important and egregious" violations of that agreement, which fell short of a ceasefire. On Friday, Burhan sacked Daglo, giving his title of vice president of the ruling Sovereign Council to former rebel leader Malik Agar, and appointed three allies to top jobs in the military. A former rebel leader who signed a peace deal with Khartoum authorities in 2020, Agar said in a statement Saturday he was determined to try to "end the war" and press for negotiations. He also addressed Daglo directly saying "Sudan's stability can only be re-established by a professional and unified army". Integration of the RSF into the regular armed forces has been the main bone of contention between Daglo and Burhan. The force, which traces its origins to the notorious Janjaweed militia recruited in the early 2000s to crush a rebellion by ethnic minority groups in Darfur, is highly mobile but has a reputation for being ill-disciplined. Its fighters have been accused of widespread break-ins and looting, including at diplomatic missions and aid group offices. On Saturday, Qatar's embassy was the latest diplomatic mission to be attacked, drawing condemnation from Doha. "The embassy staff had previously been evacuated and... none of the diplomats or embassy staff were subjected to any harm," the ministry said. It renewed calls for "an immediate halt to the fighting". Qatar did not specifically identify Daglo's RSF as responsible but a statement from the pro-Burhan authorities put the blame squarely on the paramilitaries. The embassies of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have also come under assault in recent weeks. Saturday's attack came a day after Arab leaders meeting at a summit in Saudi Arabia urged Sudan's feuding generals to halt the fighting. Although the main fighting is being played out in Khartoum, the violence has also spread to the war-ravaged western region of Darfur, where the RSF has its roots. In South Darfur capital Nyala, fighting since Thursday has killed 22 people forcing civilians to flee for safer areas as shells crash on their homes, the bar association in Darfur has said. On Friday, the UN aid boss Griffith said he was allocating $22 million in emergency funds to help Sudanese fleeing the violence. The funds will help relief efforts in Chad, the Central African Republic, Egypt, and South Sudan where Sudanese have sought refuge, he said. The United States promised $103 million for Sudan and neighboring countries to support displaced people. The post Air strikes shake Khartoum as Sudan rivals agree 1-week ceasefire appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gaza ceasefire takes effect
Rocket fires by Palestinian militants in Gaza targeting Israel and retaliatory air strikes by the Jewish state’s military halted on Sunday after the two sides agreed to a ceasefire. The ceasefire brokered by Egypt took effect at 10 p.m. on Saturday, though two rockets were fired from Gaza after 11 p.m. with no victims, the Israel army said. “Israel’s National Security Adviser Tsahi Hanegbi... thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and expressed the State of Israel’s appreciation for Egypt’s vigorous efforts to bring about a ceasefire,” a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office said. “We want to thank Egypt for its efforts,” Islamic Jihad political department official Mohammad al-Hindi told Agence France-Presse. He has been in Cairo since the fighting erupted on Tuesday. The current bout of violence erupted on Tuesday when Israeli strikes on Gaza killed three leading IJ members. Three other senior figures from the Palestinian militant group were killed in later strikes. They are among at least 34 lives lost in the fighting inside Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry. There have been two deaths in Israel, a Gazan laborer and an Israeli in Rehovot. The army said nearly 1,100 rockets had been fired from Gaza towards Israel with 300 intercepted by its air defenses. The post Gaza ceasefire takes effect appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gaza ceasefire takes effect after five days of deadly fighting
A ceasefire took effect in and around the Gaza Strip on Saturday after five days of cross-border exchanges that have killed at least 33 Palestinians in Gaza and two people in Israel. The truce was due to take effect at 1900 GMT, Egyptian and Palestinian sources said. But in the final 30 minutes running up to 1900 GMT, dozens of rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel, prompting renewed air strikes, AFP correspondents in the territory said. Most of the rockets were intercepted by Israeli air defences. Egypt, a longtime mediator in Gaza, secured the agreement of both Israel and the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad to its latest ceasefire proposal, an Egyptian security official said. "Israel's National Security Adviser Tsahi Hanegbi... thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and expressed the State of Israel's appreciation for Egypt's vigorous efforts to bring about a ceasefire," a statement from the Israeli prime minister's office said. He said Israel's response to the Egyptian initiative means "quiet will be answered by quiet, and if Israel is attacked or be threatened it will continue to do everything it needs to do in order to defend itself". A Palestinian source confirmed Islamic Jihad's agreement. "We want to thank Egypt for its efforts," Islamic Jihad political department official Mohammad al-Hindi told AFP. He has been in Cairo since the fighting erupted on Tuesday. On Saturday, Israel had again pounded Gaza with air strikes targeting the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad following a new barrage of rocket fire into Israel to mark the funeral of its military commander Iyad al-Hassani, who was killed on Friday. 'What have we done?' For days, life in Gaza and in Israeli communities near the border has been a daily routine of air strikes and sirens warning of incoming rocket fire. Residents in the crowded Gaza Strip cowered indoors as the fighting raged, with streets empty and only a few shops and pharmacies open. "The whole Palestinian people are suffering," Muhammad Muhanna, 58, told AFP in the ruins of his home. "What have we done?" In Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, a dead donkey lay in the ruins of a row of buildings levelled in an Israeli strike. "No one is safe in their homes," said Imad Rayan, 64. A spokesman for the interior ministry in Gaza said on the final day of its campaign the Israeli military had concentrated on "targeting civilians, residential and civilian buildings". There had been mounting calls for a ceasefire to be agreed, including from Israel's closest ally, the United States. US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, in a call to Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, "stressed the urgency of reaching a ceasefire agreement in order to prevent any further loss of civilian life", the State Department said. Egypt had kept up its mediation effort despite repeated setbacks. On Saturday, shrapnel from a rocket fired from Gaza hit a building site in Sdot Negev, just over the border into Israel, killing one man and wounding another. Both were day labourers from Gaza. Islamic Jihad said its fighters were pursuing "missile strikes on Israeli cities" in revenge for Israeli "assassinations" of their commanders and strikes on populated areas. The exchange of fire came after the Palestinian health ministry reported the death of two men aged 19 and 32 in an Israeli army raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. The Fatah movement of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said the two men killed in the raid were members of its armed wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Deadliest fighting since August The current bout of violence erupted on Tuesday when Israeli strikes on Gaza killed three leading Islamic Jihad members. Three other senior figures from the Palestinian militant group were killed in later strikes. They are among at least 33 lives lost in the fighting inside Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry. There have been two deaths in Israel, one of them the Gazan day labourer. The army said nearly 1,100 rockets had been fired from Gaza towards Israel in the current fighting, including 300 intercepted by its air defences. Gaza, a coastal enclave that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, has been plagued by poverty and unemployment since Israel imposed a blockade in 2007 when the Islamist movement Hamas took control. The territory has seen numerous wars between militant groups and Israel since the Hamas takeover. This week's fighting was the worst in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since an August flare-up that killed nearly 50 Palestinians. The conflict has escalated since veteran Israeli politician Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power late last year, heading a coalition with the extreme right and ultra-Orthodox parties. The post Gaza ceasefire takes effect after five days of deadly fighting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Loud explosions rock Sudan cities
Loud explosions woke up residents in Sudan’s capital Khartoum and another city as peace talks between representatives of warring military factions under way in Saudi Arabia appears to flounder. Residents of different districts in Khartoum and Omdurman told Agence France-Presse Wednesday that they also heard artillery fire. The fighting between army troops headed by their chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo continues since a ceasefire negotiation brokered by Riyadh started in Jeddah on Saturday. According to a Saudi diplomat privy to the truce talks, the two sides’ positions that they can win the battle set aside ceasefire from the agenda. United Nations aid official Martin Griffiths had “proposed a declaration of commitments for the two parties to guarantee the safe passage of humanitarian relief,” a UN spokesperson in New York said Tuesday. More than 750 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the fighting erupted on 15 April while nearly 150,000 people have fled Khartoum into neighboring countries. WITH AFP Another 700,000 people have been displaced inside Sudan. The post Loud explosions rock Sudan cities appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Stench of death engulfs Sudan hospitals, but leaving is mortal danger
Ibrahim Mohamed turned in his hospital bed to find the patient next to him had died, but fighting that had erupted in Sudan's capital hours earlier meant the body could not be moved. Battles since 15 April between the forces of two rival generals have turned Khartoum into a war zone, shuttering hospitals and preventing health professionals from providing care. By the time Mohamed, a 25-year-old leukemia patient, was finally evacuated from the Khartoum Teaching Hospital on Tuesday, the body was still there. "Because of the intense fighting, the person could not be moved and buried," Mohamed's father, Mohamed Ibrahim, 62, told AFP. Attiya Abdullah, general secretary of the Sudanese doctors' union, said the same was happening in other hospitals. "Decomposing dead bodies are kept in wards" for lack of anywhere else to put them, he told AFP. With explosions, heavy gunfire and air strikes that have killed hundreds in the capital and in other parts of the country, "morgues are packed and the streets are littered with bodies," Abdullah said. According to him, urban warfare between forces loyal to Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy-turned-rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the commander of the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has triggered a "complete and total collapse of the healthcare system". As Ibrahim waited with his son in the hospital ward under ceaseless blasts, "the stench filled the room", the father said, made worse by power outages in the baking heat. "We could either stay in the pungent room, or go outside and be met with gunfire." At around 1:00 pm on Tuesday, after three days with no food, water or electricity, the father and son finally left, but not to safety. "The hospital was being shelled," Ibrahim recounted. According to the doctors' union, 13 hospitals nationwide have been shelled and 19 others evacuated since fighting began. At least eight people have died in attacks on health facilities, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). "The RSF and the army were fighting right outside the hospital," Ibrahim said, adding that some of those evacuating were hit by gunfire themselves. When the bombs start falling near hospital premises, doctors face a grim choice. "We find ourselves forced to let patients leave," Abdullah said. "If they stay, they would be killed." Ibrahim managed to shield his sick son from the crossfire, but "had to go on foot" through the streets, dashing from one safe point to another. It took them five hours to get home "safely, but my son's health has deteriorated since", the father said. With nearly three-quarters of hospitals shuttered and "operational hospitals only providing emergency services", according to Abdullah, there was nowhere else Mohamed could go. "I just want all of this to stop so I can take my son to be treated," his father said. According to Abdullah, even hospitals that have remained open, receiving mostly gunshot wounds, "are at risk of closure at any time". "They don't have enough surgical equipment, not enough fuel to run generators, not enough ambulances or blood." The WHO said 413 people had been killed and 3,551 wounded in the fighting across Sudan, but the actual death toll is thought to be far higher, with doctors and humanitarian staff unable to reach those in need. "Some hospitals have had the same team working" for eight days straight, Abdullah told AFP. "Some have only one surgeon. All are extremely exhausted." Medics have made daily appeals for a ceasefire to allow humanitarian access to move through, transport the wounded and bury the dead. But brief lulls in the fighting in Khartoum have repeatedly given way to the crackle of gunfire, cutting through the momentary silence, and no truce has taken hold. As civilians rallied on social media to find any sources of medication for chronically ill relatives, UNICEF has warned power cuts and fuel shortages were putting at risk the cold storage of more than $40 million worth of vaccines and insulin. On Friday, as a third ceasefire collapsed, the doctors' union shared advice on Facebook on how to handle, shroud and bury decomposing bodies. The post Stench of death engulfs Sudan hospitals, but leaving is mortal danger appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
U.S. special forces evacuate Americans in Khartoum
United States special forces in helicopters evacuated staff of the US embassy in Khartoum as fighting between rival military factions of Sudan intensified in the capital city. More than 100 American troops rescued fewer than 100 people from the US embassy using three Chinook helicopters and flew to Djibouti, where other foreign governments are staging rescue mission for their own citizens caught in the crossfire in Khartoum. US President Joe Biden condemned the fighting and called for an immediate ceasefire on Sunday. Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group — which has seen fighter jets launch airstrikes and street fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum — have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded. Khartoum’s airport has been the site of heavy fighting with aircraft destroyed on the runway and is under the control of the Rapid Support Forces. More than 150 people from various nations reached the safety of Saudi Arabia. Heavy fighting broke out on 15 April between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary RSF. The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militia unleashed in Darfur by former strongman leader Omar al-Bashir, where they were accused of war crimes. Burhan and Daglo seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle. US Undersecretary of State John Bass said that the RSF “cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members.” Bass warned that a coordinated US government effort to evacuate other American citizens was unlikely in the coming days. More than 150 people from various nations reached the safety of Saudi Arabia after naval forces launched a rescue across the Red Sea on Saturday, collecting 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals from 12 other countries from Port Sudan, in the first announced evacuation of civilians. A ceasefire declared on Friday by the two sides for the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan was shortlived. Meanwhile, civilians shelter inside their homes in Khartoum, with power largely cut amid sweltering heat in the city of five million people. Many have ventured out only to get food and water, supplies of which are dwindling, or to flee the city. Adding to residents’ woes was a “near-total collapse of internet connectivity” across the country, according to web monitor NetBlocks. The post U.S. special forces evacuate Americans in Khartoum appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»