Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan said the Sudanese army was committed to 'law, democracy and institutions'. Photo: Sudanese Armed Forces
Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan said the Sudanese army was committed to 'law, democracy and institutions'. Photo: Sudanese Armed Forces
Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan said the Sudanese army was committed to 'law, democracy and institutions'. Photo: Sudanese Armed Forces
Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan said the Sudanese army was committed to 'law, democracy and institutions'. Photo: Sudanese Armed Forces

Sudan's Al Burhan says RSF have committed 'every possible crime'


Hamza Hendawi
  • English
  • Arabic

Sudan's army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan delivered a scathing judgment of the Rapid Support Forces on Monday, claiming that the rival paramilitary led by his one-time ally has committed “every possible crime” since the two sides began fighting each other in April.

In a recorded address published by the military on social media, Gen Al Burhan renewed the army's commitment to stand by “the choices of our glorious people and their legitimate right to a state where the law, democracy and institutions prevail.”

Gen Al Burhan has made several public appearances since the war began, usually seen cheerfully greeting soldiers, donning a camouflage shirt and matching jungle hat, with a rifle slung over his shoulder. In Monday's address, the veteran general wore a formal military uniform and was seated on a leather chair.

The RSF claims that Gen Al Burhan has been besieged by its fighters in a basement inside the armed forces' headquarters in central Khartoum since the start of the war. The RSF occupies a section of the sprawling facility as well as the nearby Khartoum airport.

The war between the army and the RSF has been centred in the Sudanese capital, where the two sides have fought each other to a standstill, with neither side able to secure a decisive victory or make tangible progress. The war is essentially a fight for political and military supremacy between Gen Al Burhan and his former deputy, Gen Mohamed Dagalo, the RSF commander.

The war has devastated the capital's infrastructure and created a massive humanitarian crisis, forcing more than four million people to flee their homes, including nearly one million who have crossed the border into neighbouring nations.

The UN says more than 20 million people are facing a high level of food insecurity as a result of the war, which has trapped millions in the capital suffering a scarcity of food, water and power.

The army's reliance on heavy artillery and air strikes has compounded the suffering of civilians in the capital, inadvertently killing hundreds as the army seeks to dislodge RSF fighters deployed deep in residential areas.

But in his address on Monday Gen Al Burhan tried to take the high moral ground when he declared the military's commitment to democratic and civilian rule, while demonising the RSF for its own claim that it is fighting for the benefit of the people of the vast Afro-Arab nation.

Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo jointly led a 2021 coup that derailed Sudan's democratic transition and plunged the country into an intractable political and economic crisis that has indirectly led to the continuing war. The two generals also oversaw security forces' deadly response to a wave of street protests that followed their coup, which left scores of protesters dead and thousands injured.

“Sudan is facing the biggest conspiracy in its modern history, one that targets its very existence, identity, heritage and the fate of its people,” said Gen Al Burhan, whose address marked Sudan's “Army Day.”

The RSF, he said, has since the war began on April 15 looted private properties, sexually assaulted women and tortured civilians. “It has committed every possible crime imaginable,” he said.

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TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

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Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

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Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

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Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.

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Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

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Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

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Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

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Dust storm

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Started: 2018

Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

Based: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

Funding: $40 million

Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

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Canada

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Singapore

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Australia

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Saudi Arabia

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Confederations Cup Group B

Germany v Chile

Kick-off: Thursday, 10pm (UAE)

Where: Kazan Arena, Kazan

Watch live: Abu Dhabi Sports HD

The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
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Updated: August 14, 2023, 12:16 PM