Sudan's military leader Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan was on Monday visiting neighbouring Eritrea, his fourth foreign trip in two weeks.
Gen Al Burhan, also Sudan's army chief, is seeking to rally regional support at a time when the army is locked in a civil war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
He has already visited Egypt, South Sudan and Qatar.
Gen Al Burhan will hold talks with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki on issues of common interest between the two states, his office said without giving further details.
Sudan and Eritrea are bound by close economic and political ties. Sudan was also home to hundreds of thousands of Eritrean and Tigrayan refugees during the civil war in Ethiopia between 1974 and 1991. Many of them remain in Sudan to this day.
The war, which began in April and is centred in Khartoum and the western Darfur region, has created a major humanitarian crisis, with more than five million people displaced.
The conflict between the RSF and the army is widely seen as a fight for political and military supremacy between Gen Al Burhan and his former ally and deputy, RSF commander Gen Mohamed Dagalo.
Diplomacy drive
Gen Al Burhan's foreign visits are helping confirm his legitimacy as the nation's ruler at a time when the RSF is coming under increasing criticism for its alleged wholesale abuse of civilians in Khartoum and Darfur. Its members are accused of looting, sexual attacks and targeting civilian members of ethnic African communities in Darfur.
The International Criminal Court is investigating suspected war crimes by the RSF and its Arab allies.
On Saturday, Gen Al Burhan again lambasted the African Union for what he said was its unwelcome meddling in Sudan's affairs. He did not elaborate, but the general has in the past warned the AU against sending peacekeepers to Sudan, threatening to fight them if they arrive.
He has also warned foreign powers against equating the army with the RSF, whose forerunner is a notorious Darfur-based militia, known as the Janjaweed, in their public announcements, repeatedly declaring that the RSF was a mutinous force and dissolved it in a decree last week.
Sudan's AU membership was suspended in 2021 when Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo jointly seized power in a coup that toppled a civilian-led government and derailed Sudan's democratic transition.
Neither the army nor the RSF has been able to gain a battlefield edge after nearly five months of fighting, with the lightly armed RSF fighters entrenched deep in the capital's residential areas. The army relies on heavily on artillery and air strikes, unable to dislodge them or wrestle back control of the streets.
Gen Al Burhan, seeking to compensate for the army's insufficient manpower, had called on retired servicemen and able-bodied men to join his army in the fight against the RSF. Hundreds are known to have volunteered in the fight against the RSF.
On Saturday, he instructed his commanders to integrate them into the armed forces.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
heading
Iran has sent five planeloads of food to Qatar, which is suffering shortages amid a regional blockade.
A number of nations, including Iran's major rival Saudi Arabia, last week cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism, charges it denies.
The land border with Saudi Arabia, through which 40% of Qatar's food comes, has been closed.
Meanwhile, mediators Kuwait said that Qatar was ready to listen to the "qualms" of its neighbours.
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
The%20Sandman
%3Cp%3ECreators%3A%20Neil%20Gaiman%2C%20David%20Goyer%2C%20Allan%20Heinberg%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Tom%20Sturridge%2C%20Boyd%20Holbrook%2C%20Jenna%20Coleman%20and%20Gwendoline%20Christie%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
