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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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Fanney Khan
Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora
Director: Atul Manjrekar
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand
Rating: 2/5
Red Joan
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova
Rating: 3/5 stars
F1 line ups in 2018
Mercedes-GP Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas; Ferrari Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen; Red Bull Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen; Force India Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez; Renault Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jr; Williams Lance Stroll and Felipe Massa / Robert Kubica / Paul di Resta; McLaren Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne; Toro Rosso TBA; Haas F1 Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen; Sauber TBA
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
