Witnesses say seven people were killed this week in the first known clash in the Sudanese capital between fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and armed civilians, a development that, if repeated, adds an ominous layer to the three-month war between the army and the RSF.
News of the clash came after a call last month by army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan on able-bodied civilians to join the army in its war against the RSF. He has also called on civilian men to visit army bases where they would be handed firearms to defend themselves, their families and property.
The RSF, whose forerunner is a notorious Darfur militia known as the Janjaweed, stationed thousands of its fighters deep in residential neighbourhoods since the early days of the war, leaving the army with the difficult task of trying to dislodge them while trying to avoid civilian casualties.
The paramilitary's fighters have since been consistently accused of breaking into and occupying homes whose inhabitants fled the fighting, as well widespread looting of homes, shops and banks.
There have also been reports of sexual assaults by RSF fighters against women, forcing many families to send female members to family and friends outside the capital for their safety.
The clash between the RSF fighters and civilians happened on Monday in the district of Haj Youssef in the capital's fiercely contested area of Sharq Al Neel in Bahri, one of the three cities that together with Khartoum and Omdurman make up the greater capital city.
RSF fighters arrived in two all-terrain vehicles and a lorry loaded with about 40 bodies of their comrades and went around homes asking for help to bury their dead in the local cemetery, according to two witnesses – Siddiq Al Imam and Mouawaya Noqd – who spoke to The National.
The fighters said that they needed help because army warplanes were flying over the area and could target them if they were in the open, the two witnesses said.
"No one objected to them burying their dead in our cemetery, but they provoked us when it became clear they wanted to use us as human shields," Mr Noqd said. "But we stood our ground."
Tensions rose when the men refused to help and an angry crowd soon gathered around the RSF fighters, they said. A gun battle then ensued between the neighbourhood's men and the RSF fighters in which four RSF fighters and three civilians were killed, they added. Four more civilians were injured.
"More RSF fighters arrived after the gun battle and arrested 15 men," Mr Imam said. "They released 12 of them on Tuesday morning but deployed sharpshooters on rooftops. It's very tense now."
There have been reports circulating for weeks in Khartoum about stand-offs between civilians and RSF fighters stationed in residential districts, but Monday's incident at Sharq Al Neel is the first known one to involve a gun battle and fatalities.
The tension between the RSF and civilians in Khartoum is partially a reflection of the cultural and economic gap separating the capital's residents from the RSF fighters, who are mostly drawn from the nation's impoverished regions such as Darfur and Kordofan in the west and south-west. Many feel discriminated against by the relatively better-off northern part of Sudan.
The harassment and fear endured by civilians at the hands of RSF fighters entrenched in their districts has in some cases forced them to leave their homes en masse.
In one case this week, the RSF ordered residents of Al Ashra neighbourhood in Khartoum's Al Sahafah district to leave their homes after they refused to co-operate with the paramilitary, according to eyewitness Amer Abdullah.
The war in Sudan broke out after weeks of tension between the army and the RSF over a political blueprint proposed by pro-democracy politicians that envisages the army quitting politics and the RSF being integrated into the armed forces.
The war created a huge humanitarian crisis, forcing more than three million people to flee their homes and leaving millions more trapped in the capital suffering lengthy power failures and water shortages, scarce health services and skyrocketing food and fuel prices.
The UN has warned that the country was headed towards "full-fledged" civil war and the US says neither side has an appetite for ending the war. A series of truces mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia were either ignored or not fully respected, although several regional attempts to end the war are now under way.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
More on Quran memorisation:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Fernando Jara (jockey), Irfan Ellahi (trainer).
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,400m
Winner: Yaalail, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Fernando Jara, Helal Al Alawi.
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2.200m
Winner: Ezz Al Rawasi, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
The years Ramadan fell in May
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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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
