After three years of war, Sudan army and RSF locked in military impasse
Sudan’s war has entered its fourth year, but there is little indication the conflict will end any time soon, as the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are locked in battle for control of the North African nation. Life has gradually returned to a fragile state of near-normalcy in the capital, Khartoum, and central regions after the army regained control of the regions. However, this relative stability has been accompanied by a sense of unsettling uncertainty, as economic and living conditions continue to deteriorate, the military deadlock persists in the Kordofan region, and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur has worsened. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list On the ground, the conflict has created a clear division between eastern and western Sudan, with the Sudanese army controlling the northern, central and eastern states, as well as the capital. Meanwhile, the RSF controls Darfur and large parts of the three Kordofan states, and has also opened a new front in the Blue Nile region along the border with Ethiopia. On May 20 of last year, the Sudanese army recaptured Khartoum State from the RSF forces after more than two years of fighting, marking one of the biggest military developments of the year. Earlier, on January 11, 2025, the army also retook Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira State. It then expanded its advances by pushing RSF forces out of northern White Nile State, breaking the siege on el-Obeid in North Kordofan in February 2025, and regaining Kadugli and Dilling in South Kordofan by last February. The army retook Bara, the second-largest city in North Kordofan, in March. Ibrahim Mohamed Ishaq, 35, a Sudanese refugee father from al-Fashir, rides on a motorised cart with his wife Fatima Abdul Karim, 25, and their daughters Eman, 5, and Eilaf, 3, as they flee ongoing clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army, arriving at the entrance city of Tine in eastern Chad, on November 22, 2025 [File: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters] What gains have the RSF made? Despite the army’s achievements, the RSF made significant military progress as well. Most notable is their capture of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, on October 26 of last year after a two-year siege. This allowed it to consolidate control over most of the region, except for three northern regions still held by the army and joint forces, as well as areas controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) armed group led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur. Advertisement Emboldened by the fall of el-Fasher, the RSF advanced towards Babnusa in West Kordofan later in December 2025. This came shortly before the army withdrew from the Heglig oil region, the country’s largest oilfield in West Kordofan, resulting in the state in effect falling under RSF control. RSF forces remain present in scattered areas of North Kordofan, including Umm Qarfah, Jabra al-Sheikh, Umm Badr, Hamra al-Sheikh, and Sodari. They are also active in parts of South Kordofan, particularly in Al Quoz, Al-Hamadi and Al Dibibat. By the end of the third year, the conflict had spread to eastern Sudan. And with the joint force of the RSF and SPLM-North, the city of Kurmuk in Blue Nile State was captured in March of last year. This prompted the Sudanese government to accuse Ethiopia of providing military and logistical support – an accusation they have since denied. The nature of the war has also evolved in recent months. The RSF has increasingly been relying on drones to strike targets in central and northern Sudan. In response, the army has acquired new drones, enabling it to target supply lines, eliminate several RSF leaders and destroy their military equipment. The human cost of the war On the humanitarian front, the war has reached catastrophic levels. A joint report by the International Committee of the Red Cross, UNICEF, and Intersos found that about 14 million people have been displaced over three years. Simultaneously, 26 million people face acute food insecurity, while 33.7 million require humanitarian assistance, including 7.4 million people internally displaced. The Norwegian Refugee Council reports that most families have been forced to reduce their daily meals due to worsening economic conditions and loss of income. In Khartoum, prices of fuel, bread, goods and services have risen sharply in recent days. This has coincided with the depreciation of the Sudanese pound, with the US dollar now worth about 600 pounds. Despite some improvements in security in certain areas, the International Organization for Migration reports that about 3.99 million people had returned to their homes as of April, mainly to Khartoum and Gezira. Of these, 83 percent are internally displaced people and 17 percent returned from abroad. More than 13 million people remain displaced or refugees, including about nine million within the country. Saddam Najwa, a malnourished, 17-month-old internally displaced child reaches out for a cup of water at the paediatric ward of the Mother of Mercy Hospital in Gidel, near Kauda, within the Sudan’s People Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) controlled area of the Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan, Sudan, on June 25, 2024 [File: Thomas Mukoya/Reuters] In Khartoum The appointment of Kamil El-Tayeb Idris as prime minister in May 2025 was a major development politically, as was the formation of a civilian government. Advertisement This marked the first such step since Abdalla Hamdok’s resignation in January 2022, following the collapse of political consensus after Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan dissolved the transitional government in 2021. The 2021 coup disrupted the democratic transition process established after the fall of long-term leader Omar al-Bashir in 2019 following a mass uprising. In January of this year, the government officially returned to Khartoum after operating from Port Sudan as a temporary capital since August 2023. The war erupted on April 15, 2023, over a power struggle between the army and the RSF. Despite this, international and regional efforts to end the war have only stalled. The Quadrilateral Initiative – the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates – has
US strike on Pacific vessel kills three
NewsFeed US military footage released Wednesday shows its latest strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three people the US accused of “narco-trafficking”. The attack follows a wave of deadly strikes on vessels in the region that rights groups have blasted as “extrajudicial killings”. Published On 16 Apr 202616 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
US sending 10,000 more troops to Middle East despite Iran ceasefire
The US is sending additional troops to the Middle East this month, according to The Washington Post. Published On 15 Apr 202615 Apr 2026 The United States is sending more than 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East before the end of April as Washington tries to increase pressure on Iran, US officials have told The Washington Post. The newspaper, quoting current and former US officials speaking on condition of anonymity, reported on Tuesday that the US was sending about 6,000 troops on board the USS George HW Bush carrier and the ships escorting it to the region. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Approximately 4,200 other troops from the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked Marine Corps task force, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are expected to arrive near the end of the month, the report said. It was previously announced that roughly 50,000 troops had been involved in operations in the war on Iran since its beginning on February 28. With the looming arrival of the USS George HW Bush, which is reportedly sailing around Africa, the number of carriers in the region will reach three. The USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald Ford are in the Middle East and participated in the fighting against Iran. The report, which Al Jazeera was unable to verify, comes as the US pressed ahead on Wednesday with a naval blockade it said had cut off maritime trade with Iran. Naval blockade US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media overnight that its previously announced blockade had been “fully implemented” and that American forces “have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea”. The picture based on maritime tracking data on Tuesday was less clear-cut, indicating that several ships sailing from Iranian ports had crossed the Strait of Hormuz despite the blockade. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump told The New York Post on Tuesday that a new round of talks with Iran could take place in Pakistan “over the next two days,” after a marathon first negotiating session ended without a breakthrough. Advertisement Last week, the US and Iran failed to reach a deal to end the war after high-stakes talks in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, but the two-week ceasefire declared a week ago held. The truce is set to expire on April 22. According to the officials speaking to The Washington Post, the deployment of new troops will enable the US administration to continue holding talks with Iran, while at the same time preparing for “the possibility of additional strikes or ground operations”. Adblock test (Why?)
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal vows to win Champions League after Atletico defeat
Spain’s teenage star writes to fans the day after Barcelona’s Champions League exit to promise future glory. Published On 15 Apr 202615 Apr 2026 Lamine Yamal has renewed his promise to win the UEFA Champions League (UCL) with Barcelona. A day after the team’s elimination by Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals, the 18-year-old Yamal said on Wednesday that he will not give up and will fulfil his promise to capture the trophy with the Catalan club. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “We are Barca, and we will be back where we belong,” Yamal said on a post on Instagram. “My parents taught me that a man’s word always has to be fulfilled … we’ll bring it to Barcelona.” Barcelona defeated Atletico 2-1 on Tuesday, but it had lost the first leg 2-0 at home last week. The Catalan club was trying to return to the semifinals for the second season in a row. It won the last of its five Champions League trophies in 2015 with Lionel Messi at the top of his game. “We gave it our all but it wasn’t good enough,” Yamal posted. “This is just part of the road. To get to the top you have to climb, and we know it won’t be easy, nor will they make it easy for us. But giving up is not an option. “We have plenty of reasons to be excited, and we’re going after it with everything. Every mistake is a lesson, and don’t doubt that we will learn from each one of them.” Yamal, who scored one of Barcelona’s goals on Tuesday, had similar words after the team’s loss to Inter Milan in the 2025 semifinals, saying he “won’t stop” until he can “fulfil my promise” to win the Champions League with the club. Yamal early on Wednesday was still using on his Instagram profile the photo of LeBron James holding the NBA trophy in 2016 when the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors. Advertisement He had said before the game against Atletico that James was an inspiration for Barcelona’s comeback attempt. His team needed another goal on Tuesday to take the game to extra time. Barcelona’s forward Lamine Yamal reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal defeat [Oscar Del Pozo/AFP] In La Liga, Barcelona have a nine-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid after 31 rounds, and its next match is against Celta Vigo next week. Barcelona loudly complained of the refereeing in both legs against Atletico, and forward Raphinha will likely face punishment after saying on Tuesday that his team was “robbed”. Barca President-elect Joan Laporta said Wednesday that the refereeing was “shameful” and “inadmissible” and said the club planned to present a formal complaint with UEFA. “The refereeing, both on the field and in the VAR booth, was a disgrace,” he told Spanish media. “What they did to us is intolerable. In the first leg, they didn’t award us a clear penalty and sent off one of our players for a yellow card offence. The refereeing decisions hurt us a lot.” Barcelona had already made a complaint to UEFA about a possible penalty in its favour in the first leg. It had Pau Cubarsí sent off in the first half of the opening game, and Eric García was shown a red card in the second half on Tuesday. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, meanwhile, said his youthful squad will learn from their latest setback. “We have a young team, and they will improve,” the German said after the game. “Every day we have to learn more, we have to be better and this is what we have to do.” Adblock test (Why?)
Iran warns US naval blockade threatens ceasefire
Tehran, Iran – Iranian authorities say a continued United States naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz could end the current pause in fighting as mediators try to secure a diplomatic solution. “If the aggressor and terrorist US seeks to continue its illegal action of imposing a naval blockade in the region and to create insecurity for Iran’s commercial vessels and oil tankers, this action by the US will constitute a prelude to a violation of the ceasefire,” said Major General Ali Abdollahi, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “The powerful armed forces of Iran will not allow any exports or imports to continue in the area of the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Red Sea,” Abdollahi, whose organisation has been running the war and influencing political decision-making, was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday. The comments come after the US military said its naval blockade has “completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea” and will continue amid the two-week ceasefire declared a week ago. US President Donald Trump told Fox News that the war is “close to over” and hinted at a second round of face-to-face talks with Iran in Pakistan in the coming days, but US media have also reported that thousands more American soldiers have been sent to the Middle East on warships. Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead the US delegation if a second round of talks does materialise, but no date has been finalised. Advertisement Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, arrived in Iran on Wednesday as part of a Pakistani delegation after “numerous messages” were exchanged with the US through mediators since the Iranian delegation returned from Islamabad on Sunday. The goal of any potential future talks will be to “fully cease the war and realise the rights of Iran” in addition to lifting the sanctions imposed on the country, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters. He also emphasised that Iran has not and will not seek a nuclear weapon but insists on its right to pursue nuclear energy for civilian purposes under United Nations safeguards. He said the level and type of enrichment can be negotiated. Baghaei also renewed Iran’s criticism of Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, for statements and reports about Iran’s nuclear programme that the country believes paved the way for Israel’s 12-day war in June and the current war that the US and Israel started on February 28. On Wednesday, Iran’s parliament speaker and former IRGC and police commander Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation at the weekend talks in Pakistan, held a rare phone call with United Arab Emirates Vice President Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They discussed “regional developments and ways to de-escalate tensions in the region”, according to the UAE’s WAM news agency. The UAE and other Gulf Arab states came under heavy Iranian attack before the ceasefire with Iran saying it was targeting the US military presence in those countries. ‘Never give concessions’ Iranian authorities have maintained a defiant approach and have said their supporters, who have taken to the streets at night in a show of strength over the past six weeks, will not be happy if major concessions are given on uranium enrichment and the Strait of Hormuz. Messages from Iran’s hardline-controlled state television and many members of parliament have been adamantly against negotiations with Washington, pushing the narrative that they believe Iran has the upper hand after surviving 40 days of war with military superpowers. Speaking to supporters gathered on Tuesday night on the streets of Saveh, southwest of Tehran, parliament’s deputy speaker, Ali Nikzad, said Iran considers control over the Strait of Hormuz a sovereign and legal matter. “We will never give concessions to our enemy,” he said. Esmaeil Kowsari, a member of parliament’s national security commission and former senior IRGC commander, said it would be “impossible” for the government to accept “even one clause” of the 15 points delineated by the Trump administration to achieve peace. Advertisement “We will participate in negotiations to show to the world that they must enter the field and stop this instability. We know the Americans are not trustworthy and will not remain committed to agreements,” he told the state-run IRNA news agency. For his part, President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran will continue dialogue within the framework of international law and has blamed Washington for “excessive demands” that have derailed any agreement, including on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Mohammad Khatami, a former reformist president who has been sidelined for years, released a statement late on Tuesday to signal that the IRGC must now transform achievements in the field of battle to a “lasting peace” that would allow Iran to develop. “We have entered a new and more sensitive phase in which we must, free from overexcitement and extremism, consolidate our current military and political achievements; and, through a precise and realistic understanding of society and of the necessities of the post-war period and the new global economic and political developments, remove the shadow of threat, aggression, and war from Iran,” he wrote. More arrests, confiscations announced Iranian authorities have continued to announce the enforcement of death sentences as well as a large number of arrests and asset confiscations. The judiciary has said some of the executions were linked to nationwide protests in January, during which thousands of people were killed during an internet blackout. Others were tied to national security crimes and a host of other charges. Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025 and were on track to execute even more people this year during the war with the US and Israel, Norway-based Iran Human Rights and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty said on Monday. That figure marks a 68 percent increase compared with the year before and
Israeli attacks kill 11, including two children, in day of strikes on Gaza
A three-year-old and a 14-year-old were among those killed in Israel’s latest strikes on northern Gaza. Published On 15 Apr 202615 Apr 2026 Israel’s military has killed at least 11 Palestinians, including two children, in separate attacks across the war-torn Gaza Strip, the latest violations by Israel of a “ceasefire” with Hamas that came into effect on October 10 last year. Gaza’s Civil Defence authorities and the Reuters news agency said that a three-year-old and a 14-year-old were among those killed in the Israeli strikes in the northern part of the enclave on Tuesday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defence, said four people were killed, including the three-year-old, “in a strike targeting a police vehicle” in Gaza City. Gaza’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement that Israeli warplanes had “targeted” the police vehicle in the city centre, “causing several deaths and injuries”, with a police officer among those killed and at least nine bystanders wounded, some critically. Bassal also said another person was killed by Israeli fire in the northern Beit Lahiya area earlier in the day. Later on Tuesday evening, Civil Defence reported that another Israeli strike killed several people near an intersection in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. Medics at Al-Shifa Hospital later confirmed receiving five bodies from “an Israeli drone bombing”, involving two missiles, that hit a group of people in the Shati refugee camp. Reuters reported that the Israeli strike hit near a cafe and, along with those killed, it had also wounded several people, according to health officials. Despite a “ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas that began last October and slowed two years of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Israeli forces continue to carry out daily strikes on the territory, killing almost 760 Palestinians since the truce was agreed upon. Advertisement Gaza Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that an additional 2,111 Palestinians have been injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire was announced, while a total of 72,336 people have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of Israel’s war on the territory on October 7, 2023. Adblock test (Why?)
US forces kill 4 people in latest strike on vessels in eastern Pacific
The killings mark the fourth US deadly strike in the past four days on vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Published On 15 Apr 202615 Apr 2026 The US military has killed four more people in its fourth deadly attack on vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean over the past four days. US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced the attack in a social media post on Tuesday, alongside a video that showed a stationary boat with outboard engines being hit by a missile and exploding into a huge ball of flames. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list SOUTHCOM, which is responsible for US military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, claimed that the four people killed were “narco-terrorists”, but provided no evidence to support its claims. Justification for the lethal attack, according to SOUTHCOM, was due to intelligence – details of which were not provided – that confirmed that “the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations”. The latest killing of people on board vessels in international waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean brings the overall death toll to at least 175 since early September, when US President Donald Trump ordered the attacks to stop what the White House claims are Latin American cartels transporting drugs to the US. Tuesday’s killings came after two people were killed in a US strike on Monday, and five people were killed in two separate strikes on Saturday, also in the eastern Pacific. The Associated Press news agency reported that the US coastguard has suspended a search for one survivor from the two attacks reported on Saturday. International legal experts and rights groups say the US military campaign amounts to “extrajudicial killings” in international waters and that the attacks have targeted civilian fishing boats. Advertisement Legal experts have said that if some vessels were involved in drug trafficking, those on board should face the law, rather than deadly attacks. Critics have also questioned the effectiveness of the US military operation in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses in the US, which Trump has used to justify his campaign, is typically trafficked to the US over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel and Lebanon hold direct talks for first time in decades
NewsFeed After the first direct talks in decades, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to begin ongoing negotiations for the ‘security of both countries’. Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna explains why US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sees this ‘milestone’ meeting as just the ‘start of the process’. Published On 15 Apr 202615 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Man charged with attempted murder after attack on OpenAI CEO Altman’s home
A 20-year-old Texan faces potential life imprisonment after an arson attack on Sam Altman’s San Francisco residence. Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026 Authorities in the United States have charged a 20-year-old Texas man with attempted murder and arson after he allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Daniel Moreno-Gama faces two counts of attempted murder and nine other charges following last week’s arson attack on Altman’s residence in San Francisco, District Attorney of San Francisco Brooke Jenkins said on Monday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “We interpret this behaviour for just what it is: An attempt on Mr Altman’s life and an extreme danger to those around him and those who work for his company,” Jenkins said at a news conference. “As the DA, my office will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.” Moreno-Gama is also separately facing federal charges of attempted damage and destruction of property by means of explosives, and possession of an unregistered firearm. Moreno-Gama faces the possibility of life in prison under the charges. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins speaks during a news conference on Monday in San Francisco [Jeff Chiu/AP] Moreno-Gama, from Houston, Texas, was captured on a security camera hurling an incendiary device at Altman’s home shortly after 3:30am local time on Friday, according to an FBI affidavit. The suspect then travelled to OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters, where he struck the building’s glass doors with a chair and stated his intention to “burn it down and kill anyone inside”, according to the affidavit filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California. Advertisement After arresting Moreno-Gama at the scene, police recovered incendiary devices, a container of kerosene, a lighter, and a document espousing opposition to artificial intelligence and tech executives, including Altman, according to the affidavit. The document recovered at the scene stated that Moreno-Gama had killed or attempted to kill Altman, and that he “must lead by example and show that I am fully sincere in my message”, according to the filing. Altman, whose company’s release of ChatGPT in 2022 marked a watershed in the rollout of AI, has become a lightning rod for heated discussion about the potential risks and benefits of the rapidly advancing technology. In a blog post after Friday’s arson attack, Altman said that while much criticism of the tech industry was driven by sincere concerns about the “incredibly high stakes” of AI, it was time to turn down the heat of the public debate. “While we have that debate, we should de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally,” Altman said. In her news conference, Jenkins criticised what she described as “incendiary rhetoric” about the potential impact of AI on society. “In no way should we be at the point where a man could have lost his life over differences of opinion and concerns,” she said. Adblock test (Why?)
Anti-war protesters arrested in New York urging end to Israel weapon sales
Police in New York have arrested around 100 anti-war protesters who were staging a sit-in outside the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, demanding an end to US weapons sales to Israel. The demonstration comes as Senator Bernie Sanders pushes to block more than $600m worth of bombs bound for Israel’s military. Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)