Detained Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu denies ‘terrorism’ charges: Report
Detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has denied “terrorism” charges brought against him, according to a court document seen by the Reuters news agency “I see today during my interrogation that I and my colleagues are faced with unimaginable accusations and slanders,” Imamoglu said Saturday in his defence during a hearing, the document showed. Later on Saturday, Imamoglu arrived at the Caglayan courthouse, where he was to be questioned by prosecutors, a spokesman for city hall said. Imamoglu will appear in court on Sunday as a judge is expected to decide whether to jail or release him. The mayor, a key opposition figure and potential challenger to longtime President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on Wednesday by the government for alleged corruption and “terrorism”. His detention came four days before his Republican People’s Party (CHP) planned to name him as its 2028 presidential candidate. Erdogan on Saturday accused the CHP’s leadership of turning the party “into an apparatus to absolve a handful of municipal robbers who have become blinded by money.” Advertisement He also accused it of “doing everything to disturb the public peace, to polarize the nation.” Court appearance Reporting from Ankara, Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker said Imamoglu is going to be moved from police custody to judicial custody on Saturday. “We understand he will have a health check along with 100 or so others who are charged too, and then he will be transferred to the courthouse. So he will be questioned by a prosecutor later tonight,” she said. “Then tomorrow morning, he appears before a judge, and the judge will make a ruling on whether … he is released without charge, released pending trial or detained pending trial,” she added. ‘Feeling of being trapped’ Imamoglu’s arrest has sparked a wave of protests that have spread within 48 hours to more than two-thirds of Turkiye’s 81 provinces, even including strongholds of Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party, such as the central area of Konya and Trabzon and Rize on the Black Sea. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc told reporters this week that the arrests had nothing to do with the government. “Linking investigations and cases initiated by the judiciary to our President is, at best, presumptuous and inappropriate,” he said. Erdogan’s communications directorate has also said the presidency would continue to defend him against what it called an “irrational smear campaign”. Despite a ban on protests and a heavy police presence, huge crowds of protesters have taken to the streets. Turkiye saw a fourth straight night of protests on Saturday. Advertisement “The feeling of being trapped – economically, socially, politically and even culturally – was already widespread,” Kemal Can, a journalist and author of numerous books on Turkish society, told the AFP news agency. But Erdogan does still retain support in many parts of the country that trusts the government due to the country’s divisive history and current polarized environment. Imamoglu’s arrest, Can said, had sparked a strong reaction, “especially among young people worried about their future in a country where freedoms are increasingly restricted. It’s a reaction that goes well beyond Imamoglu.” Imamoglu commended the protests and said in a post on X on Saturday that they were aimed at protecting “democracy” as an “inspiration” to the world. Protest crackdown Turkish police have cracked down on protesters. Officials said 343 people have been arrested in the demonstrations so far, which have seen hundreds of thousands of people protest in Turkiye’s biggest cities in a massive show of defiance. On Saturday, detention warrants were issued for 94 suspects accused of posting “provocative” calls to protest and create public “panic”, the Turkish news agency Anadolu quoted the Istanbul chief public prosecutor’s office as saying. Police carried out simultaneous raids, detaining 56 of the suspects, and are searching for the 38 others, Anadolu reported, adding that authorities have also seized illegal drugs during searches of the suspects’ homes. The investigation against İmamoglu is part of a sweeping probe involving 106 suspects over corruption and “terror” allegations. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
US lifts $10m reward for major Taliban leader Haqqani
The removal of the bounty comes days after Afghan group releases US citizen. The United States has lifted a $10m reward for information leading to the arrest of a major Taliban leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, an Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs spokesperson says. Despite the announcement on Saturday, the FBI still lists the reward on its website, saying Haqqani was “believed to have coordinated and participated in cross-border attacks against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan”. The move comes after the Taliban on Thursday released a US citizen who had been kept in captivity for two years. The release of George Glezmann, who was abducted while travelling as a tourist in Afghanistan in December 2022, marks the third time a US detainee has been freed by the Taliban since January. In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Glezmann’s release represented a “positive and constructive step”. He also thanked Qatar for its “instrumental” role in securing the release. The Taliban has previously described the release of US detainees as part of its global “normalisation” effort. Advertisement The group remains an international pariah since its lightning takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. No country has officially recognised the Taliban government although several countries continue to operate diplomatic facilities in the country. The Taliban takeover came as former US President Joe Biden’s administration oversaw a withdrawal outlined by the first administration of President Donald Trump. The US president had negotiated with the Taliban in 2020 to end the war in Afghanistan, and he agreed to a 14-month deadline to withdraw US troops and allied forces. The agreement was contentious for leaving out the Western-backed Afghan government, which was toppled during the chaotic US exit from the country in 2021. Haqqani, the son of a famed commander from the war against the Soviets, was head of the powerful Haqqani Network, a US-designated “terror group” long viewed as one of the most dangerous armed groups in Afghanistan. It is infamous for its use of suicide bombers and is believed to have orchestrated some of the most high-profile attacks in Kabul over the years. The network is also accused of assassinating top Afghan officials and holding kidnapped Western citizens for ransom, including US soldier Bowe Bergdahl, released in 2014. Haqqani had continued to be on the US radar even after the Taliban takeover. In 2022, a US drone strike in Kabul killed then-al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. The house in which al-Zawahiri was killed was a home for Haqqani, according to US officials. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
The livestream from Gaza’s killing fields resumes
The ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump in January barely lived up to its name. Despite the deal, Israel continued its attacks on Gaza, killing more than 150 Palestinians in just eight weeks. The last remnants of hope were shattered as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched one of the deadliest bombing campaigns since the genocide began – followed by a ground invasion. Israeli outlets have largely ignored the human toll while Western journalists, despite mounting criticism, remain stuck in familiar patterns of reporting. Contributors:Dalal Iriqat – Associate professor, Arab American University PalestineHaggai Matar – Executive director, +972 MagazineAssal Rad – Middle East scholar and authorNathan Thrall – Jerusalem-based writer On our radar The arrest of Istanbul’s mayor and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strongest challenger, Ekrem Imamoglu, has set off a political firestorm in Turkiye. As mass demonstrations erupt nationwide and social media platforms are throttled, Meenakshi Ravi reports on one of the biggest protest waves Turkiye has seen in a decade and how it’s testing the limits of the government’s control. Advertisement Israel’s settlers: from margin to mainstream From rampaging through the occupied West Bank to setting their sights on colonising Gaza, Israel’s settlers wield more power now than ever before. Once unthinkable to many Israelis, their calls to re-establish settlements in the Gaza Strip have entered the mainstream media discussion. The Listening Post’s Nic Muirhead reports on how the Israeli media have helped catapult the settlers from the margins to the mainstream. Featuring:Hilla Dayan – Sociologist, University of AmsterdamNimrod Nir – Political psychologist, Hebrew University of JerusalemOren Ziv – Photojournalist, +972 Magazine Adblock test (Why?)
Gaza is being starved and bombed again. Why are we allowing it?
“My family’s situation is very difficult, sister. I couldn’t afford food. Everything here is expensive.” These words were sent to me on March 15 by Ramez, a 17-year-old boy living in Gaza. “I don’t have anything to eat tomorrow. I don’t know what to do. Hunger has come back again.” Three days later, just before suhoor, the last meal before the daily fast begins during the holy month of Ramadan, Israel unleashed a huge campaign of bombardment, killing more than 430 Palestinians, including more than 180 children. “Only God knows what we are going through,” Ramez messaged me the next day. “We left without taking anything with us, and now we are on the street. The situation is extremely bad. Everything happened suddenly, and we didn’t expect it. A massacre occurred right in front of us, and they asked us to evacuate under the shelling.” Last year, Ramez had reached out to me on Instagram, a platform that has become a lifeline for countless people in Gaza calling out to the world for help. I do not know Ramez’s family personally nor do I have any historical connection to Gaza. Yet, out of the millions of accounts on Instagram, his message found its way to mine. Advertisement In the following months, his messages became a window into the daily suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. The ceasefire offered a temporary respite from the bombing and allowed Ramez to return to his home. Then, on the second day of Ramadan, Israel cut off all aid, triggering starvation again. On the 18th day of the holy month, it renewed its mass slaughter. As I break my fast, here in Berlin, I think of all the Palestinian families that have almost nothing on their iftar tables, who instead of the call to prayer, hear Israeli bombing. This can’t be real life, can it? Humans, just a few thousand kilometres away, are literally starving and dying under bombs. And here I am in the heart of the Western world, which professes values of democracy and freedom and yet, directly contributes to the mass murder of the people of Gaza. The taxes I pay as a German citizen go directly to a government that fully supports Israel in its genocidal war on the Palestinians. The thought of it makes me feel horrified. Hunger and genocide in Gaza Ramez has been writing sporadically. I have hesitated to ask him for more detail, unable to bear the suffering he and his family face daily. I know there were days when he only ate a few falafel balls and some pita bread. His dreams are to finish high school and to study accounting. Instead, day after day, he is forced to reach out to Instagram users, asking them to donate and share his fundraising link. His father got injured before the war and now lives in constant pain, urgently needing a shoulder replacement. He has left Ramez responsible for the family. Advertisement Ramez has two brothers, aged 15 and 14, and three sisters, aged 20, 12, and 8. His father used to work as a water and electrical mechanic, while his mother is a housewife. “Destruction and hunger remain in Gaza,” Ramez posted a few weeks after the ceasefire was announced. His family’s situation was still dire. While they received some food donations from humanitarian organisations, it was not enough to meet their needs. They had returned to their home in southern Gaza, in an area where Israeli bombardment had decimated civilian infrastructure and buildings alike. Ramez had to travel long distances to reach a humanitarian distribution centre – often, the transportation costs were higher than the value of the aid he received. Though commercial goods were available in the market, his family couldn’t always afford them. They have no source of income apart from the occasional donation they would receive from strangers on Instagram. After Israel blocked all aid into Gaza, food prices skyrocketed. Humanitarian aid has dwindled, food charities and soup kitchens have closed for the lack of supplies. Ramez’s family hasn’t received any aid in weeks. Now there is only canned food and some vegetables in the market, he told me. “I cannot provide anything. I need about $100 a day for food because of the high prices.” On March 15, almost two weeks into Israel’s full blockade on Gaza, UNICEF reported that malnutrition rates of children under the age of 2 in northern Gaza have risen from 15.6 percent in January to 31 percent at present; 23 children had died of malnutrition and dehydration in the span of a few weeks. Advertisement The rest of the Strip has also seen a sharp rise, with Catherine Russell, UNICEF executive director, noting that “the speed at which this catastrophic child malnutrition crisis in Gaza has unfolded is shocking.” Experiencing malnutrition during childhood can have lifelong consequences, including a higher likelihood of developing noncommunicable diseases and reduced immune system functionality. Furthermore, malnutrition-induced developmental delays can lead to irreversible deficits in cognitive and motor abilities, an elevated risk of behavioural challenges, and substantially diminished educational outcomes. In other words, Israel’s starving of children in Gaza right now is destroying the next generation. Egging on war crimes In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. It accused the two of – among other crimes – intentionally starving civilians in Gaza. Western countries that claim to uphold international law have readily declared that they will violate it and host Netanyahu. Among them are Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Germany. Friedrich Merz, who is set to become the next German chancellor, recently stated: “Under my leadership, the Israeli prime minister will be able to travel to Germany without any trouble. I’ll find ways to make that happen.” These declarations have signalled that the West had no intention of holding Israeli leaders to account for their crimes. Unsurprisingly, after facing no consequences for his ICC arrest
Niger declares three days of mourning after mosque attack kills 44
Authorities have blamed the deadly attack in the town of Kokorou on the Islamic State in the Great Sahara, an ISIL affiliate. The government of Niger has declared three days of mourning following an attack on a mosque in the country’s southwest that killed at least 44 people. The victims were killed in a “savage” armed assault in the Fambita quarter of the rural border town of Kokorou, the interior ministry said in a statement broadcast on state television on Friday. The ministry said another 13 people were wounded. West Africa’s Sahel region has seen an uptick in violence in recent years following the rise of armed fighters linked to the al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) armed groups that took over territory in north Mali after the 2012 Tuareg rebellion. Since then, it has spread into neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, and more recently into the north of coastal West African countries such as Togo and Ghana. Niger’s interior ministry said the latest attack occurred early in the afternoon as people were attending a prayer service at the mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. “The heavily armed terrorists surrounded the mosque to carry out their massacre with unusual cruelty,” it said, adding that the attackers also set fire to a local market and homes. Advertisement The defence ministry blamed the attack on the Islamic State in the Great Sahara, or EIGS, an affiliate of ISIL, in a statement late on Friday. EIGS had no immediate reaction to the allegation. Previous attacks in Niger were claimed by al-Qaeda affiliate groups. The government has promised to hunt down the perpetrators and put them on trial. The military-run government of Niger frequently fights armed groups in the region, and civilians are often victims of the violence. Since July 2023, at least 2,400 people have been killed in Niger, according to the database of ACLED, a non-governmental organisation that gives armed conflict location and event data. Across the greater Sahel region that encompasses several countries, hundreds of thousands more have been killed and millions displaced as armed groups attack towns and villages as well as government security outposts. The failure of governments to restore security contributed to two coups in Mali, two in Burkina Faso and one in Niger between 2020 and 2023. All three remain under military rule despite regional and international pressure to hold elections. Since the coups, authorities have turned away from traditional Western allies and have sought military support from Russia instead. Adblock test (Why?)
New Zealand vs Pakistan: fourth T20I; teams, preview, how to follow, stream
Who: New Zealand vs PakistanWhat: Fourth T20I of five-match seriesWhere: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, New ZealandWhen: Sunday at 5:15pm (06:15 GMT) Pakistan has kept alive their hopes of winning the five-match T20 series in their tour of New Zealand with their stunning win in the third match on Thursday. It reduced New Zealand’s lead in the series to a 2-1 advantage and throws open the possibility of a dramatic turnaround after a tough opening to Pakistan’s tour. Al Jazeera looks at the series so far and to the fourth match. What happened in the first two matches of Pakistan’s tour? New Zealand stormed into a 2-0 series lead as Pakistan limped through their opening games. The Kiwis claimed the first game with a nine-wicket win in Christchurch after the tourists were skittled for 91. Kyle Jamieson was Pakistan’s chief tormentor as he claimed 3-8 off his four overs and played a large part in reducing Salman Ali Agha’s side to 11-4 in the fifth over. Their total was the lowest by a Pakistan side in New Zealand. Advertisement The second match in Dunedin didn’t bring much more joy for Pakistan as the Kiwis stormed to a five-wicket win – propelled by a volley of sixes. Agha’s side mustered 135-9 batting first, but the opening stand in the chase saw Tim Seifert and Finn Allen hit seven of the first eight scoring shots for sixes. How did Pakistan reverse their fortunes against New Zealand? After the surprise move to drop captain Mohammad Rizwan and experienced batter Babar Azam from the T20 side, the pressure was growing on Pakistan by the third match in Auckland. Enter one of the new generation, Hasan Nawaz. The 23-year-old opener registered ducks in the first two games – his first taste of international cricket – but held onto his place for the third game, an unusual move in modern-day Pakistan cricket. Nawaz rewarded the faith with an unbeaten 105 as the tourists raced to 207-1 in response to New Zealand’s 204. The Islamabad-born right-hander reached the milestone off only 44 balls, the fastest century by any Pakistan player in a T20 international. 🚨 CENTURY IN HIS THIRD T20I 🚨 Hasan Nawaz smacks the FASTEST T20I hundred by a Pakistan batter, off 44 balls 🔥#NZvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/UTduvlnxM4 — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 21, 2025 New Zealand team news Matt Henry has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20 series. The seamer missed the final of the Champions Trophy due to a shoulder injury and has stepped out of the squad to continue his rehabilitation. Zak Foulkes retains his place for the remaining two matches of the series, having only been listed for the first three originally. Advertisement Will O’Rourke will also stay on for the final two games, having similarly been scheduled to sit them out, as a replacement for Kyle Jamieson. The latter was the Player of the Match in the first game of the series but endured a tough time in the third match under Nawaz’s onslaught. Pakistan team news Pakistan have a far more straightforward set-up for the remainder of the series and, with no new injury concerns, are expected to name the same team that won the third match of the series. Along with the dropped Babar and Rizwan, Pakistan were already missing the injured duo of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman for the series. Where will the final game of the series be played? The fifth and final T20 of the series, which could well be a decider, will be played at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Wednesday. Ball striking 💥 Mark Chapman belted his 2nd highest T20I score on his home ground in Auckland on Friday night, however it wasn’t enough as Pakistan kept the series alive ahead of Sunday’s 4th game at Bay Oval. 📷 = @PhotosportNZ pic.twitter.com/mh42NXswWm — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 22, 2025 Head-to-head This will be the 48th T20 meeting between the sides with Pakistan claiming victory on 24 occasions while New Zealand have won 21 of the fixtures. What comes next for the two teams? Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand will continue after the completion of the T20 series with a three-match one-day international series. The international game itself then takes something of a break around the world with many of the top stars competing in the Indian Premier League from late March through mid-April. Advertisement Pakistan’s next fixtures are in the West Indies in a three-match T20 series starting in July, followed by a three-match ODI series. New Zealand resume their games in July with a tour of Zimbabwe. How to follow the fourth T20 of the series There is live coverage of the game on free-to-air TV in New Zealand on TVNZ 1, TVNZ+ and Sport Nation NZ. Ten Sports will broadcast the game in Pakistan while Tapmad will carry a livestream. New Zealand squad Michael Bracewell (captain), Finn Allen, Mitchell Hay, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert, Mark Chapman, Zakary Foulkes, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Jacob Duffy, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi Pakistan squad Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan Adblock test (Why?)
Chinese F1 GP: Hamilton hails ‘mega’ first Ferrari win
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton leads from start to finish in the sprint race before Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton says his first Formula One sprint race win for Ferrari feels “mega” and he hopes for more after qualifying fifth for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix. The seven-times world champion led from start to finish on Saturday in the sprint, only his second race for Ferrari, in a stunning response to critics after his disappointing 10th in last weekend’s Melbourne season opener. The 40-year-old Briton managed his tyres superbly to take the chequered flag ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who will start Sunday’s Grand Prix on pole, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the 100km (62-mile) race. It was the first time Ferrari and Hamilton, who joined from Mercedes in January, had won a sprint race since the shortened format was introduced in 2021. “Starting from pole, starting from first in a Ferrari and winning in a Ferrari is next level, man. It’s mega,” the six-times Chinese Grand Prix winner said. “And I definitely didn’t expect to have it at the second race.” Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain drives the Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 before the F1 Grand Prix of China [Clive Rose/Getty Images] Hamilton, who will start the Grand Prix from fifth on Sunday, said he and Ferrari would not be getting ahead of themselves: “I know the tifosi [fans] – the team wants to win, and it means everything – but Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Advertisement The Briton felt his qualifying lap for the main event was not the cleanest and he could have been a couple of tenths quicker. “Tonight, I’m just going to make a master plan about the win. And then I’m going to try and execute it,” he said. “That’s where my mindset is at.” Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc finished fifth and said he had set up his car slightly differently to the 105-times race winner on the other side of the garage. “I wouldn’t really blame the car as Lewis is doing a great job,” the Monegasque said. “I really struggle with this track historically, and there’s no exception this weekend. But it’s not an excuse, and I need to react, and qualifying will be a good start to turn things around.” Team boss Fred Vasseur pinned the difference in their performances on how they were able to manage the tyres, noting it is easier to do so from the front rather than in the pack, where Leclerc was battling to get back past the Mercedes of George Russell. “As soon as you are in the dirty air, you struggle to overtake,” Vasseur said. “It’s much more difficult to manage.” Adblock test (Why?)
Pope Francis to leave hospital on Sunday, needs two months rest: Doctors
Francis was admitted to Rome hospital on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection. Pope Francis will be discharged from hospital on Sunday and will need two months of rest at the Vatican, one of the doctors treating him says. Francis, 88, was admitted to a Rome hospital on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection that has required evolving treatment. Catholics and others worldwide have been praying for his recovery. Many have been leaving flowers, candles and notes for Francis outside Gemelli University Hospital, where he is admitted. Francis will make his first public appearance since becoming ill on Sunday from the hospital. “Pope Francis intends to wave and offer a blessing from the Agostino Gemelli hospital in Rome after Angelus prayers,” the Vatican said on Saturday. The Angelus prayers are normally recited by the pope at midday (11:00 GMT) every Sunday. But due to his hospitalisation, the pope has missed these prayers for five straight weeks for the first time since his election in March 2013. Francis has made public appearances from Gemelli hospital during previous hospitalisations. On July 11, 2021, he recited the Angelus prayer from his balcony on the 10th floor of the hospital after colon surgery. Advertisement The current hospitalisation, however, is the longest of his papacy. The Vatican said on Wednesday that Francis had suspended the use of an oxygen mask and his clinical condition was “improving”, raising questions over who might lead the busy schedule of religious events leading up to Easter on April 20, the holiest period in the Christian calendar. The Vatican said no definite decisions had been taken yet in that regard. Despite Francis’s improvement, speculation abounds that he could step down due to his fragility, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. On Monday, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin told reporters that he had noted an improvement in Francis’s health. But asked whether the conversation had turned to the pope’s resignation, he replied: “No, no, no, absolutely not.” Adblock test (Why?)
Sudanese army’s advancement is a “symbolic victory”
[unable to retrieve full-text content] “The bigger picture here is that Sudan continues to be a divided country.”
Sudan’s army seizes control of central bank amid steady gains in Khartoum
The capture of the bank comes a day after Sudanese army forces celebrated the seizure of the presidential palace. The Sudanese army claims to have seized control of the main headquarters of the country’s central bank from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as it continues to make advances in the capital. Nabil Abdallah, an army spokesman, said in a statement to the AFP news agency on Saturday that the soldiers had “eliminated hundreds of militia members who tried to escape through pockets in central Khartoum”. The bank’s takeover comes a day after the army seized control of the presidential palace in a significant military victory. But the RSF retaliated to Friday’s takeover with a drone attack that killed three journalists and several army personnel. Army sources told AFP that RSF fighters on Friday fled into buildings in al-Mogran, an area west of the palace housing banks and business headquarters. In the area, paramilitary forces posted snipers in high-rises that overlook the city of Omdurman across the Nile River and the ministries in central Khartoum. However, the battle for the government and the financial district could strengthen the army’s hold on the capital and give it a significant advantage in the conflict. Advertisement Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan said the army had been making “steady gains” in the past few months. “They’ve been taking ground from the Rapid Support Forces in the northern part of the capital, in the eastern part of the capital, but there are still areas where the RSF are present and these are specifically around the western part of the country,” Morgan said. “Effectively, where this leaves Sudan right now is divided into two, with the army controlling the eastern, northern and parts of the southeast, and the RSF controlling the western and southwestern parts of the country,” she added. Since April 2023, the military, led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been in an ongoing conflict with the RSF, headed by Burhan’s former deputy commander, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. But the two-year-long conflict has left the country in a deep humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands of people killed and more than 12 million people displaced. Adblock test (Why?)