An 18-storey building in the centre of Khartoum was engulfed in flames on Sunday as fighting intensified between the army and a rival paramilitary group in the Sudanese capital.
Images posted online showed the Greater Nile Petroleum Oil Company Tower, a conical building with glass facades that had become an emblem of the city, on fire as fighting centred on the armed forces' headquarters in the heart of Khartoum, with fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) trying to seize the part of the sprawling complex that remains under army control.
The tower is located in the Nile-side Al Mugran district, a short distance away from the city's downtown area.
Four other key buildings in central Khartoum — the Justice Ministry, State Authority for Measurements, Tax Authority and Ministry of Higher Education — were also gutted by fire in the fighting, which was continuing on Sunday afternoon.
The four buildings are about a kilometre away from the armed forces headquarters.
The fighting was taking place near to where army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan was stranded for about four months before he was able to slip out last month and leave the capital. He has since been based in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, visiting Egypt, Qatar, Eritrea, South Sudan and Uganda in the past month.
Video clips posted online on Sunday showed deserted and debris-strewn streets and badly damaged vehicles in central Khartoum with the sound of heavy machinegun fire ringing out in the background. Other clips purported to show fighting inside the armed forces headquarters.
Gen Al Burhan's one-time deputy and ally, RSF commander Gen Mohamed Dagalo, last week threatened to march on Port Sudan. He claimed his fighters were in near total control of the entire Nile-side capital and challenged the army chief's legitimacy as the country's leader.
He has also threatened to set up a governing administration in Khartoum if Gen Al Burhan declares one in Port Sudan. The threat drew warnings from politicians that the country could be heading to effective partition.
It was not immediately clear how the buildings caught fire but the fighting over the nearby armed forces' headquarters involved artillery shelling and air strikes. There has been no word from the army or the RSF on the fires.
The fighting in Sudan boils down to a struggle for political and military supremacy between Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo, who in 2021 staged a joint military coup that toppled the civilian-led government, derailing Sudan's democratic transition and plunging the vast Afro-Arab nation into a political and security crisis.
The conflict has created a massive humanitarian crisis, forcing more than five million of Sudan's 48 million people to flee their homes. More than one million of those sought refuge in neighbouring nations.
There are no reliable estimates for the number of people killed so far but it is widely thought to be in the thousands.
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
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%3Cp%3EDavid%20White%20might%20be%20new%20to%20the%20country%2C%20but%20he%20has%20clearly%20already%20built%20up%20an%20affinity%20with%20the%20place.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EAfter%20the%20UAE%20shocked%20Pakistan%20in%20the%20semi-final%20of%20the%20Under%2019%20Asia%20Cup%20last%20month%2C%20White%20was%20hugged%20on%20the%20field%20by%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20the%20team%E2%80%99s%20captain.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EWhite%20suggests%20that%20was%20more%20a%20sign%20of%20Aayan%E2%80%99s%20amiability%20than%20anything%20else.%20But%20he%20believes%20the%20young%20all-rounder%2C%20who%20was%20part%20of%20the%20winning%20Gulf%20Giants%20team%20last%20year%2C%20is%20just%20the%20sort%20of%20player%20the%20country%20should%20be%20seeking%20to%20produce%20via%20the%20ILT20.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20is%20a%20delightful%20young%20man%2C%E2%80%9D%20White%20said.%20%E2%80%9CHe%20played%20in%20the%20competition%20last%20year%20at%2017%2C%20and%20look%20at%20his%20development%20from%20there%20till%20now%2C%20and%20where%20he%20is%20representing%20the%20UAE.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20was%20influential%20in%20the%20U19%20team%20which%20beat%20Pakistan.%20He%20is%20the%20perfect%20example%20of%20what%20we%20are%20all%20trying%20to%20achieve%20here.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CIt%20is%20about%20the%20development%20of%20players%20who%20are%20going%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE%20and%20go%20on%20to%20help%20make%20UAE%20a%20force%20in%20world%20cricket.%E2%80%9D%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
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Schedule:
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The years Ramadan fell in May
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
