Sudanese soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, at a base seized from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan. AFP
Sudanese soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, at a base seized from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan. AFP
Sudanese soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, at a base seized from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan. AFP
Sudanese soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, at a base seized from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan. AFP

Sudan's RSF releases captured Egyptian soldiers


Hamza Hendawi
  • English
  • Arabic

The paramilitary force that is fighting Sudan's army in Khartoum and across much of the country said it has released more than 200 Egyptian soldiers, including 177 air force personnel, captured in the north of the country last weekend.

Egyptian security officials said at least 50 troops were flown to Egypt in two batches, on board army transport planes.

The men, captured at a military base in the northern Sudanese town of Meroe, were taken to Khartoum earlier on Wednesday by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, RSF.

The Sudanese military said late on Wednesday that 177 Egyptian Air Force personnel were flown to Egypt on board four military aircraft, after they were released by the RSF.

The aircraft took off from the city of Dongola, in northern Sudan.

The Egyptian military did not announce the evacuation but said earlier on Wednesday that it was coordinating with authorities in Sudan to secure the return of the troops.

An RSF statement that had announced the troops' movement to Khartoum coincided with the emergence of footage purporting to show Sudanese soldiers celebrating the recapture from the RSF of the Meroe base.

Egypt has said its soldiers were in Sudan as part of a training mission under a military protocol signed with Sudan and denied that it was taking sides in the conflict.

Cairo had repeatedly called for the soldiers' repatriation, but the RSF maintained they would be returned to Egypt when circumstances permitted.

“We would like to assure the families and the government of Egypt that the soldiers who were at the Meroe base are all well and being taken care of,” said the RSF statement released after the men were flown home.

“They will be repatriated when the circumstances allow that and according to the conditions the country is going through.”

A video clip posted online last week showed RSF fighters forcing a group of Egyptian soldiers to crawl on their stomachs. An RSF soldier was seen hitting one of them and heard abusing them.

The clip triggered an outcry in Egypt, with social media users airing their anger and demanding retribution.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's government forged close military ties with Sudan following the removal from power in 2019 of dictator Omar Al Bashir, whose 29-year rule saw relations between Cairo and Khartoum often fraught with tension.

Forces from the two neighbours frequently held joint war games.

Egypt has traditionally viewed its neighbour to the south as an extension of its national security sphere.

However, its latest endeavours to establish close relations with Khartoum were in part motivated by Cairo's wish to put pressure on Ethiopia, which is building a dam on the Nile that Egypt says threatens its vital share of the river's water.

Gen Mohamed Dagalo, commander of Sudan's Rapid support Forces, a powerful paramilitary that has been fighting the army since Saturday. Reuters
Gen Mohamed Dagalo, commander of Sudan's Rapid support Forces, a powerful paramilitary that has been fighting the army since Saturday. Reuters

Sudan's army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan has visited Egypt at least three times since Al Bashir's removal and was accorded a head-of-state reception, complete with a guard of honour.

In contrast, RSF commander Gen Mohamed Dagalo has visited once in the same time frame.

Mr El Sisi this week reviewed the conflict in Sudan with his top commanders, saying later in televised comments that Egypt was prepared to mediate and that his government was in contact with the warring sides.

Before they were sent home, Mr El Sisi described the captured Egyptian contingent as a “token” force deployed there for joint exercises.

“This must be clear to all of us as a nation that that contingent was not there to support one side against the other,” he said. “That talk is nonsense.”

What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

Six tips to secure your smart home

Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.

Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.

Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.

Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.

Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.

Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Youth YouTuber Programme

The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:

- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots

- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing

- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

The language of diplomacy in 1853

Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)


We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.

Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale

2019 Asian Cup final

Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km

Price: from Dh547,600

On sale: now 

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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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Short-term let permits explained

Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.

Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.

There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.

Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.

'The Batman'

Stars:Robert Pattinson

Director:Matt Reeves

Rating: 5/5

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

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THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

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Monster

Directed by: Anthony Mandler

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington 

3/5

 

TOURNAMENT INFO

2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier

Thursday results
UAE beat Kuwait by 86 runs
Qatar beat Bahrain by five wickets
Saudi Arabia beat Maldives by 35 runs

Friday fixtures
10am, third-place playoff – Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
3pm, final – UAE v Qatar

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

How to come clean about financial infidelity
  • Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
  • Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help. 
  • Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
  • Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
  • Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported. 

Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

INFO

Schools can register for the Abu Dhabi Schools Championships at www.champions.adsc.ae

Results

Stage three:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s

General Classification:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s

4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

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Updated: April 20, 2023, 1:12 PM