Sudan

AUC Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf commended the move by Sudan's junta leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to appoint Kamil Idris, a former UN official and one-time presidential candidate, as prime minister.

The power struggle, initially concentrated in Khartoum and Darfur, has since spread to several regions, leaving destruction, loss of life and widespread displacement in its wake.

According to official estimates, the electricity sector has lost around 40 per cent of its capacity due to widespread sabotage.

With the conflict in Sudan worsening, the number of refugees is expected to rise, according to UNICEF.

The Sudanese Electrical Company said in a statement that drones struck Khartoum state on Wednesday night.

The UN estimates that 79 per cent of the population across Darfur is in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, a staggering figure that reflects the scale of suffering in the region.

UNICEF has projected that the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition could rise to 462,000 between May and October this year, with a total of 3.2 million children under the age of five expected to suffer from some form of acute malnutrition in 2025.

Government spokesperson Khalid Ali Aleisir accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of launching the "terrorist act".

The decision, ostensibly driven by accusations that the UAE is arming the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is now sparking an international legitimacy crisis.

Amnesty also expressed concern over the role of China in continuing to supply such weapons to the UAE, which has a history of breaching international arms controls.

Intensified conflict along the White Nile River, which is the primary route for humanitarian aid, has caused a month-long halt in critical humanitarian deliveries.

Highlighting the absence of political will among the warring parties to pursue dialogue, Guterres called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities" and urged all actors to engage constructively with existing mediation mechanisms.

Sudan's army has long accused the UAE of arming the RSF. The UAE denies the charge but some U.N. experts and U.S. lawmakers have found it credible, citing evidence in reports by human rights organisations on the supply of weapons.

Inside Port Sudan, the attack on the electricity substation led to a power outage across the city while army units deployed around public buildings, the witness said.

Dark plumes of smoke could be seen emerging from the vicinity of the country's main maritime port in the city, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people have sought refuge.

Large plumes of smoke and fire rose from the facility well into the afternoon as civil defence teams worked to contain a blaze there.

In a decision issued on Monday, the UN's top court ruled that it "manifestly lacked" jurisdiction to hear the case, effectively ending the proceedings.

The army has responded by beefing up its deployment around vital facilities in Port Sudan and has closed roads leading to the presidential palace and army command.

Witnesses described the moment RSF men poured into Zamzam displacement camp on April 11, looting and burning homes as shells rained down and drones flew overhead.

The latest wave of violence, which escalated on April 11, has led to the deaths of hundreds and forced a mass flight from Al Fasher and the camps of Abu Shouk and Zamzam.

The WMA stressed that such actions constitute clear violations of international humanitarian law and the principle of medical neutrality, which is designed to protect healthcare providers from military and political interference.

This time of year, known as the hunger gap, is when people in South Darfur face the most difficulty accessing food. MSF warns that supplies for malnutrition treatment must be pre-positioned now, or communities will be completely cut off once the rains begin.

Kenya emphasised that it has consistently leveraged its proximity and role within the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to mediate between Sudan's warring factions.

Last month, Sudan filed a case against the UAE at the World Court. The government's case alleges that the UAE violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention by arming the paramilitary RSF. The court opened hearings last week.

Half of its population is facing extreme hunger, and nearly five million children and breastfeeding mothers are severely malnourished.

Worryingly, attacks based on ethnicity are returning in parts of Darfur, echoing the horrors of the 2003 conflict that also left tens of thousands dead.

The RSF, which denies carrying out drone attacks and did not respond to a request for comment, has targeted power stations in army-controlled locations in central and northern Sudan for the past several months, but the strikes had not previously left major death tolls.

The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has led to widespread planting of mines, especially in contested regions.

The doctors accused the RSF of violating basic human rights and condemned their continued looting and destruction of homes.

Lamamra, serving as the Personal Representative of Secretary-General António Guterres, delivered a special message to General Abdel Fattah outlining the United Nations’ position and its continued commitment to supporting Sudan.

For years, many South Sudanese have lived in Sudan's capital alongside Sudanese citizens since South Sudan's separation in 2011.

According to Sudan, Kenya is planning to host the RSF again in Nairobi, following a previous meeting in February, which the Sudanese government claims was used to promote a “parallel government” by the militia.

Nearly 12.5 million people have been forced from their homes, including over 3.3 million who have fled across borders in search of safety.

On April 11, the RSF and their allied armed groups stormed Zamzam, Sudan's largest displacement camp, which used to host at least 500,000 people near El Fasher, after months of an increasingly tight siege on the area.

The Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group - two years into its conflict with Sudan's army - seized the massive camp in North Darfur a week ago in an attack that the United Nations says left at least 300 people dead and forced 400,000 to flee.

With millions displaced and countless more in dire need of humanitarian support, UNHCR says current aid funding stands at less than 10 per cent of what is required, leaving critical gaps in food, shelter and medical assistance.

An armed conflict erupted in mid-April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces over tensions linked to a planned political transition. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced over 15 million, and left Sudan facing what the United Nations calls one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Khartoum seeks a ruling that would compel the UAE to cease its alleged military support for the RSF and provide reparations for victims, including compensation.

The meeting, which included African and European diplomats, had already drawn criticism from Sudan's military leadership, particularly over the presence of Kenya, the UAE, and Chad — countries Khartoum has accused of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.

Senior diplomats and aid officials from the UK, Germany, France, the European Union and the African Union gathered at the one-day conference hosted in London, where they called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

Sudan is now facing the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with half of its 30 million people in urgent need of assistance.

What began as a political power struggle has now shattered lives, decimated infrastructure, and pushed 30.4 million people into urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

The RSF seized control of the camp on Sunday after a four-day assault that the government and aid groups have said left hundreds dead or wounded.

Sudan's foreign minister has written to Lammy to complain, saying Sudan should have been invited, while criticising the presence of the UAE and Kenya.

Mudavadi is expected to reiterate Kenya's official stance supporting "a unified Sudan for the people of Sudan" while rejecting military solutions and advocating for "a Sudanese-owned political process with the supportive role of external actors."

Tens of thousands of camp residents have fled to al-Fashir on foot, overwhelming shelters, and are now sleeping outdoors without food, water, or medicine, SLA spokesperson El-Sadiq Ali El-Nour said on Sunday.

The RSF now controls most of Darfur and parts of southern Sudan, while the army maintains its grip on the north and east, including the recently recaptured capital, Khartoum.

Neighbourhood defence units have emerged in urban areas like El-Gezira in central Sudan, El-Fasher in North Darfur, Al-Dalang in South Kordofan, El-Obeid in North Kordofan, Babanusa in West Kordofan and Khartoum.

The first wave of multiple attacks began on Thursday, according to a release from advocacy group the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees, with the assaults continuing through Friday and Saturday, destroying homes, markets, and healthcare facilities.

Two years of devastating conflict have transformed Sudan into the world’s largest hunger crisis, with nearly half the population, approximately 24.6 million people, now facing acute hunger.

Sudan’s Sovereignty Council confirmed the discussions also covered strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation between Sudan and Eritrea.