Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, Featured on Spotlight Discussing the Situation in Ukraine

To watch this program go to the following link: THE STATUS OF UKRAINE WAR

Watch this worldwide satellite news segment Spotlight featuring Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, discussing the current situation surrounding the Ukraine war and the role of Russia, Europe and the United States. 

The program aired live on Dec. 16, 2025. "Northern and eastern EU leaders have met in Helsinki to coordinate their defense strategy", the promotional language for the episode reads: "The Ukrainian President says a US-backed peace proposal could be offered to Moscow soon. That's while European leaders, left out of the process, warn that Russia remains a long-term threat to the continent's security. Abayomi Azikiwe Editor, Pan-African News Wire Detroit, and Syed Mohsin Abbas, Journalist and Political Commentator in London are featured as analysts."

Rwanda-backed M23 Rebels Say They Will Withdraw From Seized City in Eastern DR Congo

By MARK BANCHEREAU

11:22 AM EST, December 16, 2025

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Rwanda-backed M23 rebels said Tuesday they will withdraw from Uvira, the strategic city in eastern Congo seized last week, as fighting in the region escalated despite a U.S.-mediated peace deal.

Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, which includes M23, said the withdrawal was requested by the U.S. and is a “unilateral trust-building measure” to facilitate the peace process.

The statement also called for the demilitarization of Uvira, the protection of its population and infrastructure, and the monitoring of the ceasefire through the deployment of a neutral force. It did not say whether M23’s withdrawal is contingent on implementing these measures.

Uvira residents said Tuesday that the rebels were still in the town.

M23 took control of the city last week following a rapid offensive launched at the start of the month. More than 400 people have been killed about 200,000 displaced, regional officials say.

The rebels’ latest offensive comes despite a U.S.-mediated peace agreement signed earlier this month by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington.

The U.S. last week accused Rwanda of violating the agreement by backing the new rebel advance in the mineral-rich eastern Congo, and warned that the Trump administration will take action against “spoilers” of the deal.

The accord didn’t include the rebel group, which is negotiating separately with Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating. However, the accord obliges Rwanda to halt support for armed groups like M23 and work to end hostilities.

The rebel push into Uvira brought the conflict to the doorstep of neighboring Burundi, which has maintained troops in eastern Congo for years, heightening fears of a broader regional spillover.

Around 64,000 refugees from Congo have arrived in Burundi since the start of the month, according to the U.N. refugee agency. There have also been reports of shells falling in the town of Rugombo, on the Burundian side of the border.

Congo, the U.S. and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which has grown from hundreds of members in 2021 to around 6,500 fighters, according to the U.N.

More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, near the border with Rwanda, most prominently M23. The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the U.N. agency for refugees.

In Senegal, Climate Change is Adding to Historic Tension Between Farmers and Herders

By ANDREA FERRO

9:05 PM EST, December 16, 2025

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Cheikh Diouf and his father had just delivered a load of manure to the family’s fields near their village in January when Diouf, returning home for a second load, got an urgent phone call from his sister-in-law: His father, she said, was arguing with a group of herders. By the time Diouf raced to the field, his father was dead, struck down by machete blows.

There was no trace of the attackers, but Diouf and his family blame herders whose animals had grazed into the cassava fields that Moussa Diouf was cultivating. The elder Diouf, in his 60s, spent most of his time in the fields or at a mosque where he served as muezzin, performing the daily call to prayer.

“It hurts so much,” Diouf, 18, said. “If only I had been there, he wouldn’t have died. Either I or the herder would have died — but not my father. If I ever meet that herder, I will avenge him, that’s for sure.”

Tension between farmers and herders has long been a fact of life in West Africa, but climate change is ramping it up. Declining rainfall and rising temperatures have dried up pasture land at the same time agricultural use has expanded. And that’s meant more frequent conflict as nomadic herders, and their cattle, sheep and goats, range through the region searching for grazing.

Changing weather patterns in Senegal breed conflict

Senegal has averaged about 27% less annual rainfall in the past 30 years than it did from 1951 to 1980, according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Meanwhile, farmers also complain that it’s become impossible to determine when the rains will begin and end — sometimes delaying seeding or damaging crops.

The Peul, or Fulani, are herders who have traditionally raised animals across a vast territory from Senegal to Nigeria. Their nomadic movements are essential in a region that doesn’t produce enough vegetation to feed a large number of animals in one place all year long. They also supply two-thirds or more of the meat and milk sold in the region’s markets, according to a United Nations study.

In Senegal, the approach of the dry season in October and November typically sees them moving their herds southward from the semi-desert northern region along centuries-old routes. But in recent decades, that southward journey has become longer as they’ve had to search for more favorable land, and it’s during this migration — which overlaps with harvest — when disputes between the two groups are worst.

Animals can struggle to find grazing because grass has often been cut to sell as forage. That can lead shepherds to cut branches from trees to feed their animals, contributing to deforestation and desertification. And when the animals pass near crops, which typically aren’t fenced or monitored, they are attracted to the food.

It’s difficult to get accurate data on violent incidents because Senegal doesn’t have a specific investigation system in place and most aren’t officially recorded. They’re often mediated locally with village chiefs overseeing. But Senegalese media have reported numerous instances since 2024, including a death in Amdalah and serious injuries in Diounto, both in January 2025.

Everyday tools become weapons

Both shepherds and farmers use cutting tools in their daily work and in disputes they can easily be weapons. That’s the case with the diassi, a small machete that can cut tall grass or wood to build a hut, cut branches to feed an animal or serve as protection against wild animals or cattle thieves.

Dr. Yawma Fall, deputy head of the Ndofane medical center in the Kaolack region, said in the past 18 months she has seen wounds from clashes between farmers and herders. She described a shepherd about 12 years old struck in the shoulder with an ax by a man apparently angered because the boy’s livestock entered his field. She described another shepherd who lost fingers when he was struck with a blade.

In the Saint-Louis region, near the Mauritanian border, an ordinary day in the fields in 2022 turned into a confrontation that cost Mamadou Gueye, a 39-year-old farmer, his left hand. He described a fight with a herder over cattle that included a motorbike chase.

“As soon as they saw us coming, they drew their machetes to scare us. That’s when I was struck — I saw my blood flowing fast,” he said. He added: “The relationship between us and the herders is very tense; we mistrust each other. There’s no friendship between them and me.”

What farmers and herders say

On the outskirts of the village of Ndofane, 45-year-old Fode Diome sits beneath a tree where he spends most of his days watching over his fields.

Problems between herders and farmers have existed for a long time, he said.

“It’s normal that animals need to eat, I agree, but there are specific times when transhumance is allowed,” he said, using the term for moving livestock to new grazing areas.

“Unfortunately, most herders don’t respect this rule, and that causes damage. They’re allowed to come only after the harvest, when all fieldwork is done, usually in January and not before. Sometimes the nomads stay here until the next rains, and we ask them to leave because we need to prepare the fields for the new season.”

For herders, finding pasture is a major concern, complicated by the gradual expansion of land under cultivation. They also have the burden of nurturing their animals through winter, as well as costs of veterinary care and feed that are difficult for the average herder.

“There’s no grass left for the livestock. Everywhere you go, there are fields. It has become very difficult,” says Alioune Sow, a 61-year-old herder from Linguere. “Especially after the rainy season: if you don’t move with your animals in search of pasture, you’re forced to buy feed. There are no cattle paths. Since fields are almost everywhere, the animals wander into them and sometimes they get poisoned.”

Sitting on a worn wooden platform in the shade of a large, low canopy, he keeps watch over his goats, gathered inside a small enclosure within Dakar’s sprawling livestock market. He said he hasn’t had major disputes with farmers, but some of his relatives have.

He said one possible solution would be to designate land specifically for farmers and other areas reserved for herders.

What’s being done to manage the problem

Senegal doesn’t have a national entity that manages conflict between agriculture and herding. Mediation falls mainly to local communities, helped out by associations and other nongovernmental bodies.

Labgar, a village in the Louga region, has managed to defuse some of the tensions between farmers and herders, said Papa Khokhane Seydou Faye, the village’s agricultural and rural adviser since 2017. Many longtime nomadic routes pass through the village.

With help from NGO workers, the village organizes periodic meetings with members of both groups on sensitive issues such as fires, deforestation and grazing conflict, to talk about possible solutions. In one workshop, the solutions discussed for grazing conflict included more clearly marking grazing trails as well as field boundaries.

JetBlue Passenger Jet Nearly Clashes with US Military Plane in Curaçao off the Coast of Venezuela

December 15, 2025 

A JetBlue Airbus climbs sharply after takeoff. Photo: O'Meara/AP/file photo.

On Friday, a flight from the US airline JetBlue departing from the small Caribbean island of Curaçao, heading toward John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, halted its ascent to avoid colliding with an unresponsive US Air Force refueling aircraft. The commercial pilot blamed the military plane for crossing its path. Curaçao is situated 35 miles off the coast of Venezuela.

“We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot said in a recording of his conversation with air traffic control. “They went directly into our flight path… They do not have their transponder on; it is outrageous.”

“We just saw the airborne traffic directly in front of us at less than five miles from us—maybe two or three miles—but it was a US Air Force air-to-air refueling plane, and it was at our altitude,” the pilot said. He added, “We had to stop our climb.”

The pilot noted that the US Air Force plane then headed toward Venezuelan airspace. According to the air traffic recording, the controller responded: “It has been outrageous with the [US] unidentified aircraft inside our airspace.”

Derek Dombrowski, a JetBlue spokesperson, said on Sunday, “We have reported this incident to federal authorities and will participate in any investigation.” He added, “Our crewmembers are trained on the proper procedures for a variety of in-flight situations, and we appreciate our crew quickly reporting this situation to our leadership team”

The Pentagon referred mainstream media to the Air Force for comment. According to Al Jazeera, the Air Force had not responded to the requests as of Sunday

Analysts claim the incident is part of ongoing US attempts to isolate and intimidate Venezuela, as the US Air Force is becoming more comfortable intruding in foreign airspace surrounding the country. They say it evidences the continuous commercial air traffic operations in countries surrounding Venezuela, despite US attempts to disrupt air traffic in the country and as airlines claim their suspension of flights to Venezuela is in response to security concerns. Commercial flights in Venezuela have continued despite US imperialist pressure, although several international flights, mostly on European routes, have been affected.

Since September, the US military has launched a controversial military operation in the region, dubbed Southern Spear, with 22 airstrikes that have killed 87 civilians on small boats reported so far. International, United Nations, and US human rights and military experts have labeled the strikes as extrajudicial executions.

On November 21, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a notice advising commercial airlines to practice extreme caution while flying within and around the Venezuelan air traffic region. Days later, US ruler Donald Trump posted a controversial and unofficial message on social media claiming that Venezuelan airspace was closed. For many, this is further evidence of the regime change operation against Venezuela that, in a new desperate move, tries to disrupt air traffic in the country while fueling psychological operations against the Venezuelan people.

Analysts claim a tragedy caused by the unprecedented US military deployment in the region—aiming at regime change in Venezuela but justified under the pretext of a new US “war on drugs”—is a real possibility. This deployment is affecting air traffic not only in Venezuela but all over the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. They clarify that the ultimate goal of US imperialism is to intensify the unconventional war being waged against Venezuela over the last year, which shows signs of waning by not achieving its goals.

Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff

Venezuela Terminates Gas Supply to Trinidad and Tobago Over Complicity in US Crimes

December 16, 2025 

Oil tanker in the Caribbean sea. Photo: EFE.

Caracas accuses the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago of maintaining a hostile agenda against Venezuela since taking office and of being criminally complicit in US military massacres of civilians in the Caribbean.

The government of Venezuela announced the immediate termination of any contract, agreement, or negotiation for the supply of natural gas to Trinidad and Tobago following the direct complicity of that country’s government in the theft of Venezuelan oil carried out by the US administration on December 10 through the seizure of an oil tanker.

In an official statement dated December 15, 2025, in Caracas, the Venezuelan Executive reported that it has full knowledge of the participation of the Trinidadian government in this operation, described as an act of international piracy that constitutes a serious violation of international law, as well as of the principles of free navigation and free trade.

The document directly points to the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, whom it accuses of maintaining a hostile agenda against Venezuela since assuming office. Persad-Bissessar’s administration has presided over the installation of US military radar systems on Trinidadian territory with the aim of harassing and intercepting vessels transporting Venezuelan oil.

According to the statement, these actions have turned Trinidad and Tobago into an advanced US military platform in the Caribbean that is used to attack Venezuela and facilitate operations to strip it of its energy resources—what Caracas defines as an unequivocal act of vassalage.

In the face of this escalation of hostilities, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro recalled that Venezuela had already previously withdrawn from the Framework Agreement on Energy Cooperation signed between the two countries and that this new episode represents a definitive breaking point in the bilateral energy relationship.

The statement concludes with a political and sovereign warning, in which the Venezuelan State reaffirms that it will not allow any colonial entity or its allies to undermine its sovereignty, its right to development, or control over its strategic resources.

As such, the statement by Venezuela’s government clearly frames its decision within a doctrine of comprehensive defense against what Caracas considers a coordinated imperial offensive aimed at suffocating the country’s economy and energy resources.

Trump Orders ‘Total Blockade’ of Sanctioned Oil Tankers to and From Venezuela

Wednesday, 17 December 2025 3:27 AM

US President Donald Trump has ordered a “total and complete blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, directly targeting Caracas’ main source of revenue.

Announcing the move on Tuesday, Trump said Venezuela’s leadership had been designated a “foreign terrorist organization,” accusing it of, what he called, asset theft, terrorism, drug smuggling, and human trafficking.

Writing on his Truth Social media platform, the US chief executive said the designation justified a full blockade of sanctioned vessels transporting Venezuelan crude.

The announcement immediately reverberated through energy markets, with US crude futures climbing more than 1% in Asian trading.

Oil prices had earlier settled at their lowest level since February 2021, underscoring the sensitivity of markets to potential disruptions in Venezuelan supply.

While the White House has not detailed how the blockade would be enforced, the order follows last week’s seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.

Since then, an effective embargo has already taken shape, with loaded tankers remaining in Venezuelan waters rather than risk interception.

The Trump administration has also moved thousands of troops and nearly a dozen warships, including an aircraft carrier, into the region.

Venezuela’s government swiftly rejected Trump’s “grotesque threat.”

President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly condemned Washington for seeking to overthrow his government and seize control of the OPEC member’s vast oil reserves, the largest proven crude reserves in the world.

Legal and political questions have emerged as far back as in Washington, itself.

International law experts have noted that blockades are traditionally considered acts associated with war and subject to strict legal conditions.

US Representative Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, called the move “unquestionably an act of war,” arguing it lacked congressional authorization.

The impact on Venezuela’s oil sector has already been severe. Exports have fallen sharply since the tanker seizure, a decline compounded this week by a cyberattack that disrupted the administrative systems of state-run oil company PDVSA.

Industry data have shown that more than 30 of the roughly 80 vessels recently in Venezuelan waters or approaching its ports are currently sanctioned.

The blockade order, meanwhile, comes amid heightened military tensions stoked by Washington.

Trump’s campaign against Maduro has included a growing US military presence and dozens of strikes on vessels near Venezuela in recent months.

The Venezuelan head of state, speaking earlier on Tuesday, had warned that “imperialism and the fascist right” were seeking to colonize Venezuela and exploit its natural wealth, vowing that the country would defend itself and that peace would prevail.

Venezuela Protests to UN Security Council Over US Seizure of Oil Tanker

Tuesday, 16 December 2025 9:17 PM 

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil

Venezuela has protested to the United Nations Security Council over the United States recent seizure of one of its oil tankers.

“We have delivered a letter to the UN Security Council presidency in which we officially condemn the US seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker,” Foreign Minister Ivan Gil said on Tuesday.

The top diplomat asserted that Venezuela would “continue to exercise its sovereign and inalienable right to market its resources in a legitimate manner.”

He demanded that no legal process be subjected to “theft, kidnapping, or acts of piracy, regardless of their source.”

The protest followed the US’s seizure of the crude oil tanker Skipper off the Venezuelan coast.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that American forces had taken control of the vessel, which was reportedly carrying around two million barrels of heavy crude, adding, “I assume we’re going to keep the oil.”

The operation was carried out using helicopters launched from the USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, which was deployed to the Caribbean last month. According to reports, the seizure involved US Coast Guard personnel, Marines, and special forces.

Caracas denounced the move as “a grave international crime,” describing it as “a blatant theft and an act of international piracy.” Venezuelan authorities said the country’s oil and energy resources “belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people,” condemning Washington for seeking to appropriate them through military force.

US officials claimed the tanker, which has been under American sanctions since 2022, was part of an illicit oil network supporting foreign militant groups.

The seizure came amid an expanded US military presence in the Caribbean, where Washington has reported multiple operations against alleged drug-smuggling vessels in recent months.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has urged vigilance against US efforts to undermine Venezuelan sovereignty through sanctions and military pressure.

Analysts cited across media reports have linked the tanker seizure to Washington’s broader regional strategy, while critics have described recent US operations in the Caribbean as unlawful.

Iran’s Judiciary to Launch Cases Against Collaborators in June US-Israel Aggression

Tuesday, 16 December 2025 4:02 PM

Iran’s Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi Azad

Iran’s Prosecutor General says Tehran Prosecutor’s Office will initiate legal proceedings against leaders of domestic and foreign groups that cooperated with the United States and the Israeli regime during the 12-day imposed war of June.

Speaking on Tuesday at the fourth specialized meeting on documenting and pursuing damages from the aggression, Mohammad Movahedi Azad said it was the judicial system’s “definite and legal duty” to defend the rights of the Iranian nation.

“The judicial system, utilizing all domestic and international legal capacities, is powerfully continuing the legal and criminal pursuit of the perpetrators of the recent aggression and the documentation of damages incurred.

Movahedi Azad said that “no negligence is acceptable in this path.”

The official confirmed that there are no pending cases concerning the damages caused by the imposed war, saying all files are being pursued with diligence and accuracy.

A senior Iranian diplomat says the Islamic Republic inflicted absolutely “extensive” damage on Israel during the regime’s illegal aggression of June.

He underscored the necessity of full coordination among responsible institutions, instructing all relevant bodies to expedite the review, completion, and submission of documentation regarding the damages.

Movahedi Azad said the incidents of June once again proved that the Iranian people are an “independent, united, and resilient nation” and that “no aggression can weaken the national will and authority of the Islamic Republic system.”

Israel launched the blatant aggression against Iran on June 13. Over the course of the 12 days, the regime killed at least 1,064 people and targeted civilian infrastructure. More than a week later, the United States violated international law by joining the war and targeting three Iranian nuclear sites.

On June 24, Iran managed to impose a halt to the aggression after conducting waves of successful retaliatory operations

Iran FM Advises Adversaries Not to Repeat Past Mistakes

Wednesday, 17 December 2025 12:57 AM

Picture released on December 16, 2025 shows Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaking to Qatar’s Al Jazeera television network.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said renewed threats of fresh military aggression against Iran amounted largely to psychological warfare, stressing that previous attempts to coerce the country through either force or sanctions had failed to yield their intended results.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, which was released in full length on Tuesday, the top diplomat said reports of possible new Israeli aggression were intended “to create fear and agitation inside the country.”

He noted that such threats were not new, recalling decades of warnings from the United States and the Israeli regime that “all options are on the table,” including the military attacks.

According to Araghchi, however, the Iranian public was accustomed to this approach. “For years, perhaps decades, the Americans and Israelis have issued such threats,” he said, reiterating that such approach sought to “stir anxiety and fear in society.”

He noted that the experience of the unprovoked and illegal Israeli-American war against the country in June demonstrated how the military action stopped short of achieving its stated objectives.

The official stressed that the 12-day atrocities amounted to “a failed experience,” adding that repeating a failed course of action would inevitably produce the same outcome.

As a case in point concerning the failure of the war, he recalled that the attacks saw Tel Aviv and Washington deploy their most advanced aircraft and munitions against Iranian underground nuclear facilities without realizing their aims. “They brought their largest bombers, their most advanced fighter jets, and used their strongest bombs,” he said, “yet no result was achieved.”

Citing remarks by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Araghchi said the Islamic Republic’s nuclear technology was domestically developed and damage sustained from the aggression could, hence, be reproduced. “Iran’s nuclear technology is not imported,” he said, underlining that the technology was “the product of Iranian knowledge and Iranian scientists.”

The official noted, meanwhile, that the Islamic Republic did not ignore the possibility of fresh war, asserting that the country was fully prepared to defend itself under any circumstances. “The possibility of war has always existed and certainly exists now as well,” he said, adding that Iran’s Armed Forces and people were “fully prepared” to defend the country.

Araghchi said Iran’s security institutions constantly assessed potential scenarios and briefed the country’s senior officials, ensuring preparedness for all situations. “We consider all possibilities,” he said, noting that decisions were made based on continuous security evaluations.

Referring to the Israeli regime’s Western-backed war of genocide against the Gaza Strip, he said Iran was dealing with adversaries “who recognize no limits in their crimes.”

The official, nevertheless, underlined that Tehran did not pursue conflict and continued to prioritize diplomacy. “This does not mean that we seek war,” Araghchi said, “We certainly seek to resolve issues through diplomacy.”

Recent efforts at revival of diplomacy, Araghchi reminded, were undermined by decisions already taken by the United States and its European allies to return the UN Security Council’s sanctions against Iran as well as their excessive demands.

The official still reiterated that rational actors had to refrain from repeating proven failures. “If there is any rationality,” he said, “repeating a failed experience should not happen.”

Turkey Excluded from Post-war Gaza Conference in Doha Due to Israeli Veto: Report

Tuesday, 16 December 2025 10:28 AM

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) meets with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, on August 13, 2025. (Photo by Anadolu)

Turkey has reportedly been excluded from a US-led military conference on post-war Gaza in Qatar, a move widely attributed to Israeli opposition, despite Ankara’s declared readiness to participate and its strong ties with Washington and Doha.

Turkey was not invited to a US Central Command-organized conference in Doha on Tuesday focused on a proposed "international stabilization force" for the besieged Gaza Strip, reported the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, citing a Western diplomat and an Arab source close to Ankara.

The unnamed sources told the daily that Turkey's exclusion is linked to Israel's veto of its participation in the stabilization force.

“There is no other reason. Its relations with the US and Qatar are excellent,” said the Arab source, noting that Turkey was invited to the Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit in October.

“Turkey has signed the Sharm declaration and is ready to participate in the multinational force. The only party saying no is Israel,” the source stressed, adding that Doha and Ankara are currently exerting pressure on Washington to invite Turkey to the conference, which brings together representatives from more than 45 countries.

Western and Arab sources confirmed that Ankara was deliberately left out, even though Turkey has repeatedly been mentioned as a potential contributor to post-war arrangements in Gaza.

The exclusion comes amid intensive regional diplomacy, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack in what an Israeli source described as a “good and productive” meeting.

At the same time, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani is expected in Washington this week, while Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held phone talks with him focused on President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, recent developments in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, and the political implications of the US initiative.

The Doha meeting is described by Western diplomats as an interim, general-level conference with no binding decisions expected.

Turkey has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials over genocide in Gaza.

Washington is set to outline further details of the so-called stabilization force and gauge countries’ willingness to participate, following an earlier meeting in the US and ahead of a more decisive gathering of army chiefs in January.

Italy, according to Haaretz, is so far the only country to have clearly committed to participating in the force and even informed the US of the number of troops it can allocate.

Invitees include Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Italy, and dozens of others across Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, including Kosovo, underscoring the breadth of participation.

Meanwhile, senior American officials are in the Israeli-occupied territories and Egypt to advance plans for Gaza’s future governance, including a technocratic Palestinian administration and the deployment of the so-called stabilization force.

Supreme Court Will Hear Appeal of Black Death Row Inmate Over Racial Bias in Mississippi Jury Makeup

By MARK SHERMAN

10:11 AM EST, December 15, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the appeal of a Black death row inmate from Mississippi whose case was handled by a prosecutor with a history of dismissing Black jurors for discriminatory reasons.

A federal judge had previously overturned the murder conviction of the inmate, Terry Pitchford, but an appeals court reversed that ruling.

The justices stepped into the case involving the same prosecutor, former District Attorney Doug Evans, who was at the center of a high court case that resulted in a 2019 decision that overturned the death sentence and conviction of Curtis Flowers.

The case will be argued in the spring.

U.S District Judge Michael P. Mills held that the judge who oversaw Pitchford’s trial didn’t give the man’s lawyer enough chance to argue that the prosecution was improperly dismissing Black jurors.

Mills wrote that his ruling was partially motivated by Evans’ actions in prior cases.

Pitchford was sentenced to death for his role in the 2004 killing of Reuben Britt, the owner of the Crossroads Grocery, just outside Grenada in northern Mississippi.

In Pitchford’s case, judges and lawyers whittled down the original jury pool of 61 white and 35 Black members to a pool with 36 white and five Black members, in part because so many Black jurors objected to sentencing Pitchford to death. Then prosecutors struck four more Black jurors, leaving only one Black person on the final jury.

The Supreme Court tried to stamp out discrimination in the composition of juries in Batson v. Kentucky in 1986. The court ruled then that jurors couldn’t be excused from service because of their race and set up a system by which trial judges could evaluate claims of discrimination and the race-neutral explanations by prosecutors.

When the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Flowers, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that Evans had engaged in a “relentless, determined effort to rid the jury of Black individuals.”

Flowers was tried six times in the shooting deaths of four people. He was released from prison in 2019 and the state dropped the charges against him the following year, after Evans turned the case over to state officials.

SPLM-N, RSF Pound South Kordofan Cities with Artillery, Drones

14 December 2025

UNISFA premises in Kaduglei burning after a drone attack on Dec 13, 2025

December 14, 2025 (KADUGLI) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched intensive artillery and drone strikes on the cities of Kadugli and Dilling on Sunday, causing civilian casualties, local sources said.

The escalation follows a series of recent RSF drone attacks in South Kordofan, including a strike on a hospital in Kalogi that killed dozens and an attack on a United Nations base in Kadugli on Saturday that left six Bangladeshi peacekeepers dead.

Sources told the Sudan Tribune that SPLM-N forces, led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, shelled Kadugli from positions east of the city early Sunday. Projectiles hit the main market, western neighbourhoods, and the vicinity of the army’s 14th Infantry Division headquarters.

Authorities in Kadugli have tightened security, deploying heavy patrols and arresting activists and traders suspected of collaborating with the attacking forces.

Residents described a city under siege, with the SPLM-N blocking escape routes to the east. Those attempting to flee north toward Dilling and El-Obeid face perilous journeys through RSF-controlled territory, where reports of killing, looting, and detention are common.

The violence has deepened a humanitarian crisis in the state capital. Banks in Kadugli have been shuttered for three weeks, sparking a cash shortage and driving up prices. A blockade on supply routes by both the SPLM-N and RSF has severed access to food and medicine, exacerbating hunger after the SPLM-N seized the critical “Um Adara” area in June.

Drones target Dilling

In Dilling, the state’s second-largest city, drone strikes attributed to the RSF hit the military hospital, the 54th Brigade command, and civilian areas near the market.

In response, local authorities banned military personnel from markets, prohibited gunfire in residential areas, and restricted internet access. Satellite internet cafes were closed to prevent intelligence leaks, with only one monitored centre remaining open for financial transactions.

The air raids coincide with a buildup of RSF troops in the nearby areas of Dibebat, Al-Hammadi, and Habila, which military sources say signals an imminent ground offensive on the city.

Sudan’s Burhan Orders Oil Talks with Juba After Message from Kiir

14 December 2025

Sudan's Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan reads a letter from South Sudan's President Salva Kiir during a meeting with South Sudanese Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs Tut Gatluak and Foreign Minister Mandi Semaya in Port Sudan, Sudan December 14, 2025.

December 14, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s Sovereign Council President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ordered officials on Sunday to engage with South Sudan on oil and energy issues after receiving a letter from President Salva Kiir.

The diplomatic exchange follows the deployment of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) to the Heglig oil field in West Kordofan on December 10. The move was part of a tripartite agreement between Burhan, Kiir, and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo to secure the vital infrastructure.

South Sudanese troops secured the field two days after the paramilitary RSF seized the area. The Sudanese army had evacuated its positions and withdrawn across the border into South Sudan, where soldiers were disarmed.

Tut Gatluak, South Sudan’s presidential security advisor, delivered Kiir’s letter to Burhan in Port Sudan.

Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Muawiya Osman said Burhan instructed ministries to initiate talks with their counterparts in Juba on energy, trade, and the economy, as well as on political relations.

South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mandi Semaya described the message as an expression of “brotherly relations.” He confirmed that the leaders agreed to hold technical meetings to address “issues of mutual concern,” including the oil industry and investment.

Drone Attack Kills Bangladeshi UN Peacekeepers in Sudan

15/12/2025 20:42 

KADUGLI / ABYEI / DHAKA / DELLING

UN peacekeepers patrol the Abyei area (File photo: Tim McKulka / UNMISS)

A drone strike hit a United Nations camp in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, on Saturday, killing Bangladeshi peacekeepers and injuring eight others, the UN confirmed. The blast struck a fuel station inside the camp. Both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) traded accusations over responsibility for the attack.

A UN source said the mission evacuated the dead and wounded from Kadugli to Abyei and is considering a full evacuation of personnel from the targeted logistics base. The UN security unit instructed staff to avoid the area and urged the temporary relocation of more than 30 workers.

The six Bangladeshi peacekeepers who were killed were part of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), deployed in 2011 to the disputed, oil-rich Abyei area claimed by Sudan and South Sudan. 

The mission’s mandate has been renewed twice, most recently last month until 2026, with any further extensions dependent on progress by both countries, including the creation of a joint police force and full demilitarisation, to be assessed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a report due in August 2026.

UNSG Guterres denounced the drone strikes on the UN logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, which left members of the Bangladeshi peacekeeping contingent dead and wounded.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, he said, “I strongly condemn the horrific drone attacks that targeted the logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, resulting in fatalities and injuries of members of the Bangladeshi U.N. Peacekeeping contingent.”

Guterres warned that such assaults could amount to grave violations of international law. He said, “Attacks against UN peacekeepers like this one are unjustifiable and may constitute war crimes. I remind everyone of their obligation to protect UN personnel and civilians. There will need to be accountability.” He also offered his condolences to the families of the six fallen peacekeepers.

Bangladesh’s interim head of government, Muhammad Yunus, also condemned Saturday’s attack in his statement posted on X, describing it as a serious crime against “international peace and humanity.” 

In an official statement, Yunus said six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight others injured in “a drone attack by terrorists” on a UN base in Abyei, southern Sudan.

Expressing shock at the incident, Yunus said, “The United Nations has already been requested to take urgent measures to ensure the highest level of medical treatment and necessary assistance to the injured peacekeepers.”

African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf also denounced the attack as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, stressing that targeting peacekeepers undermines regional and international security.

South Kordofan

The attack came amid intensifying violence across South Kordofan. On Sunday, a drone strike hit a hospital in the besieged city of Delling, killing seven civilians and injuring 12 others, including patients and their companions, according to medical sources.

According to a report by the Sudan Doctors Network, further shelling that day, killing nine people and wounding 17, including a medic, and accused the RSF of deliberately targeting health facilities and civilian areas.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported a new wave of displacement driven by worsening insecurity.

IOM said more than 1,600 people were newly displaced from several areas, with families scattering to different parts of the country, including North Kordofan, White Nile state, and Khartoum, as insecurity deepened.

South Sudan Grounds UN Aircraft and Alleges Illegal Surveillance and Smuggling

By DENG MACHOL

1:57 PM EST, December 15, 2025

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan’s government has grounded four aircraft registered under the United Nations mission there, alleging that they were used for illegal surveillance and smuggling, which the U.N. denied.

South Sudan’s foreign minister, Monday Semaya Kumba, said a government committee was examining the aircraft after intelligence reports raised security concerns, and two were found with advanced surveillance and intelligence recording systems.

U.N. mission spokesperson Priyanka Chowdhury said Monday that all air assets are used “solely in support of our mandate to help protect civilians and support lasting peace in South Sudan.”

She said the U.N. mission has been talking with South Sudan’s government “for a while now to resolve this issue” and said the mission works transparently with it on U.N. operations.

South Sudan’s government in 2017 grounded U.N. aircraft after peacekeepers were deployed to guard the country’s main airport. The government said that was not part of their mandate.

More than 70% of South Sudan’s 11 million people rely on humanitarian assistance for food, healthcare and other basics, according to the U.N., whose mandate includes helping to deliver aid.

Former DR Congo Rebel Leader Lumbala Sentenced to 30 Years Over Wartime Atrocities

By MARK BANCHEREAU

3:30 PM EST, December 15, 2025

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Ex-Congolese rebel leader Roger Lumbala was sentenced Monday in France to 30 years in prison over atrocities committed two decades ago during the Second Congo War, in a verdict that rights groups hailed as overcoming long-standing impunity in the Congo.

Lumbala was found guilty in a Paris criminal court on charges of “complicity of crimes against humanity.” A lawyer for Lumbala, who has ten days to file an appeal, called the sentence excessive.

The 67-year-old led the Congolese Rally for National Democracy, a rebel group backed by neighboring Uganda and accused of atrocities against civilians, particularly targeting the Nande and Bambuti ethnic minorities in eastern Congo in 2002 and 2003.

The group committed widespread torture, executions, rape, forced labor and sexual slavery, according to U.N. reports.

Victims open up about abuses

David Karamay Kasereka, 41, one of the victims testifying at the trial said his father and several of his neighbors, all of the Nande ethnic group, were tortured and killed by Lumbala’s men.

The Congolese Rally for National Democracy specifically targeted the Nande people, which they suspected of supporting a rival militia.

Kasereka described how one of his neighbors had his ear cut and was forced to eat it. When he refused, they cut his right forearm before shooting him.

“I was just a teenager at the time,” Kasereka said. “The consequences still affect me to this day,” he added, describing regularly breaking down.

Pisco Sirikivuya Paluku, 50, another victim who testified, said the rebels stormed his uncle’s home, where he was staying, and looted all his belongings and cash. They then forced him, at gunpoint and under beatings, to perform hard labor for three weeks, including building huts, slaughtering others’ livestock, and carrying the stolen goods to the rebels base.

“These atrocities took place over 20 years ago and I had already lost hope, so I am happy that justice was finally served,” Paluku told the AP after the verdict.

Lumbala claimed the French court had no legitimacy to try him, and was absent for most of the proceedings. He was present only for trial’s first day and for the verdict, thus missing the victims’ testimonies.

A landmark trial

The trial was possible under a French law that recognizes universal jurisdiction for crimes against humanity. Lumbala’s case marks the first time a Congolese political or military leader has been sentenced for mass atrocities before a national court under the universal jurisdiction principle.

Leaders of armed groups that committed widespread atrocities during the Second Congo War have faced little accountability, some even later serving in high positions within the army or in government, a pattern that has fueled recurring violence and undermined trust in the state, according to analysts.

After the war, Lumbala served as minister of foreign trade in Congo’s transitional government from 2003 to 2005 and later as a member of parliament. The Congolese government issued an arrest warrant in 2011 over his alleged support of the M23 rebel group, prompting him to flee to France, where he had previously lived before the war.

“Today the court made one thing unmistakably clear: architects of mass violence will be held to account. Neither time nor political power will shield them,” Daniele Perissi, head of the Democratic Republic of Congo program at TRIAL International, one of the groups representing civil parties, said in a news release.

Several victims of sexual violence also testified during the trial.

“Their voices were central to the pursuit of accountability for sexual violence crimes, which remain widely under-prosecuted in conflict settings,” said Yasmine Chubin, Legal Director at the Clooney Foundation for Justice, another group representing the victims.

Phillipe Zeller, one of Lumbala’s lawyers, called the verdict excessively harsh and questioned the French court’s legitimacy.

Congo has been wracked by deadly conflict in its mineral-rich east since the 1990s with more than 100 active armed groups. The conflict further escalated last week when the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group seized a key city in eastern Congo.

The rebels’ latest offensive came despite a U.S.-mediated peace agreement signed last week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington.

—-

Jean-Yves Kamale in Kinshasa, Congo contributed to this report.

9 African Migrants Died in Freezing Temperatures Near Morocco-Algeria Border

A view of Algerian and Moroccan flags along the closed border with Morocco, in the town of Marsa Ben M'Hidi, Algeria, Aug. 11, 2023. (AP Photo, File)

By AKRAM OUBACHIR

4:08 PM EST, December 14, 2025

CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Exposure to freezing temperatures near Morocco’s border with Algeria killed nine African migrants, a tragedy that rights groups in the North African country called deeply concerning and a violation of the right to freedom of movement.

The bodies of seven men and two women were found in Ras Asfour, a remote mountainous Moroccan area known for its plunging temperatures in winter, the Moroccan Association of Human Rights said Saturday in a statement.

“They died from extreme cold, which their exhausted bodies could not withstand,” it said.

One of the migrants was from Guinea, the group said. The rest were from various countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa, though specific information about their identities remains unknown. Morocco’s Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the individuals who died.

Every year, thousands of migrants seeking better living conditions attempt to crossing illegal from North Africa to Europe, including from Morocco to Spain. Some aim for Ceuta and Melilla – two tiny Spanish enclaves in North Africa – by scaling border fences or swimming. Others attempt to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, taking a longer route through the Atlantic Ocean.

The North African nation’s security forces regularly report blocking such attempts.

Throughout Europe and Africa, North Africa is known as a transit point for migrants en route to Europe’s southern border.

Security agreements with the European Union have strengthen authorities’ ability to deter migration in North Africa. Many who originally intended to migrate to Europe spend months or years working informally — doing construction, agriculture or domestic work. Others rely on aid while waiting for opportunities to cross the Mediterranean Sea or Atlantic Ocean.

The Moroccan Association of Human Rights statement said six of the bodies were buried last week and two were kept at the request of their relatives. “We will make sure that this case is followed up on,” it said.

The Moroccan Organization of Human Rights — a different association — earlier this week called for the humanization of borders, the decriminalization of illegal migration and residence, and the creation of a mechanism to track missing migrants to prevent tragedies like the one in Ras Asfour.

Death Toll Climbs to 5 in South African Temple Building Collapse

By MICHELLE GUMEDE

2:00 PM EST, December 15, 2025

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The death toll in last week’s building collapse at the site of a Hindu temple in South Africa has risen to five, and investigators have launched a probe into the cause of the disaster, authorities said Monday.

The multistory building was being constructed on top of the temple in the eastern town of Verulam, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Durban, when it collapsed Friday, and authorities confirmed one person dead at the time.

Search teams pulled four more bodies from the rubble over the weekend, bringing the death toll to five, said KwaZulu Natal’s provincial police spokesperson, Col. Robert Netshiunda. Authorities did not disclose names of victims, nor say how many additional people are believed trapped in the collapse.

“Search and rescue teams remain on site to ensure that all people who were on site at the time of the incident have been accounted for,” Netshiunda told The Associated Press.

The regional government centered around Durban said preliminary reports indicate that the construction at the site was illegal because it had no approved building plans. Police in Verulam have opened an inquest into the collapse, Netshiunda said.

The temple complex, on a steep slope overlooking a ranch, had been undergoing expansion work when it abruptly fell just before noon on Friday. Images of the aftermath released by the municipality showed twisted metal, collapsed pillars and mounds of rubble.

The local government said clearing the site would take a long time because “debris must be carefully and systematically removed to ensure the safety of all involved.”

South Africa’s Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, a constitutional body that protects and promotes the rights of diverse communities, said the collapse has traumatized worshippers, relatives, and the larger community.

“Places of worship are sacred spaces of refuge, prayer, and communal strength, and any tragedy within such a space touches us all profoundly,” the commission said in a statement.

Hinduism is practiced by less than 2% of South Africans nationwide, but it is most common in KwaZulu-Natal. The largest Hindu temple and cultural complex in the Southern Hemisphere opened in Johannesburg in February.

Torrential Rains and Flash Floods Kill 37 in Moroccan City of Safi

By AKRAM OUBACHIR

1:48 PM EST, December 15, 2025

CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Floods triggered by torrential rains have killed at least 37 people in the Moroccan coastal city of Safi, the Interior Ministry said Monday.

Authorities said heavy rain and flash floods overnight inundated about 70 homes and businesses and swept away 10 vehicles. The Interior Ministry reported 14 people hospitalized.

Local outlets reported that schools announced three days of closures. Rains also caused flooding and damage elsewhere throughout Morocco, including the northern city of Tetouan and the mountain town of Tinghir.

Safi, a city on Morocco’s Atlantic shore more than 320 kilometers (200 miles) from the capital, Rabat, is a major hub for the country’s critical fishing and mining industries. Both employ thousands to catch, mine and process the commodities for export. The city, with a population of more than 300,000 people, is home to a major phosphate processing plant.

Videos shared on social media showed cars stranded and partially submerged as floodwaters surged through Safi’s streets.

Climate change has made weather patterns more unpredictable in Morocco. North Africa has been plagued by several years of drought, hardening soils and making mountains, deserts and plains more susceptible to flooding. Last year, floods in normally arid mountains and desert areas killed nearly two dozen people in Morocco and Algeria.

This week’s floods came after 22 people were killed in a two-building collapse in the Moroccan city of Fez. Morocco has invested in disaster risk initiatives although local governments often do not enforce building codes and drainage systems can be lacking in some cities. Infrastructural inequities were a focus of youth-led protests that swept the country earlier this year.

“This is a disaster, I have never seen anything like this in my lifetime,” Khalil Sidki, 67, a Safi resident and member of the local branch of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights, told The Associated Press.

He said the flooding caught people by surprise in a commercial area. In reaction, many shopkeepers locked themselves inside their stores, but as water levels climbed up to 4 meters (13 feet), shops were submerged, killing those trapped inside, he said. Another Safi resident described similar scenes.

Moroccan authorities launched an investigation into the cause of the flooding. Safi received 46 millimeters (less than 2 inches) of rainfall over 24 hours — a level Houcine Youabid from Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology described as “normal” for the region. He said infrastructure issues could have combined with the rainfall to contribute to the flooding.

Parts of the North African nation experienced heavy rain and snow over the weekend, and authorities issued alerts for similar conditions throughout the coming days.

__ Associated Press writer Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco, contributed to this report. 

Al-Burhan Receives Letter from South Sudan President to Boost Cooperation

By Al Mayadeen English

14 Dec 2025 22:58

Sudan’s Sovereign Council chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, received a message from South Sudan’s president on boosting cooperation in oil, energy, and trade.

Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, received a written message on Sunday from South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit concerning bilateral relations and prospects for expanding cooperation between the two countries across various sectors.

The message was delivered during al-Burhan’s meeting with a high-level South Sudanese delegation headed by Salva Kiir’s security affairs adviser, Tut Kewlwak.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry Undersecretary, Ambassador Muawiya Othman Khalid, said the meeting addressed the close ties linking the two nations, noting that al-Burhan directed all state institutions at ministerial and technical levels to engage with their South Sudanese counterparts on issues of mutual interest.

He added that discussions focused in particular on cooperation in the energy and oil sectors, as well as trade, the economy, and political relations between Sudan and South Sudan.

South Sudan’s Foreign Minister, Monday Semaya, said President Salva Kiir’s message was sent within the framework of fraternal relations, stressing the strength and durability of ties between the two countries.

Semaya said the talks included an exchange of views on economic and investment issues, including the oil industry and trade, adding that both sides agreed on the need to hold bilateral and technical meetings to address shared concerns and enhance cooperation.

Sudan facing worst humanitarian crisis

This comes after the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday that conditions in Sudan’s besieged city of El Fasher have deteriorated to levels “beyond horrific,” with between 70,000 and 100,000 people believed to remain trapped amid mass killings, famine, and the collapse of basic services.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Ross Smith, WFP’s director of emergency preparedness and response, said widespread network outages have largely cut off communications with the North Darfur city, leaving humanitarian agencies with only limited information about the situation on the ground.

Smith said satellite imagery and survivor testimonies describe El Fasher as “a crime scene,” citing reports of mass killings, burned bodies, abandoned markets, and the complete absence of commercial activity. He added that there are no signs of trade routes reopening or supplies reaching the city, and confirmed that the WFP no longer has humanitarian partners operating inside El Fasher.

“There are no confirmed reports of any community kitchens functioning,” Smith said, underscoring the scale of food insecurity facing civilians still trapped in the city.

Aid access blocked as food supplies run out

The WFP renewed calls for unrestricted humanitarian access to El Fasher in order to assess urgent needs. Smith said Rapid Support Forces authorities have given preliminary approval to minimum UN conditions for entry, stressing that the agency is ready to move immediately if a safe corridor is secured.

“Food supplies and trucks are available to reach all civilians without delay if safe passage is guaranteed,” he said.

Smith also highlighted the situation in Tawila, where more than 650,000 displaced people are living in overcrowded, temporary conditions amid a cholera outbreak and severe shortages of basic services. He warned that without urgent funding, the WFP will be forced to reduce food rations in 2026, further worsening the humanitarian crisis.

To maintain current assistance levels, Smith said the agency has already begun rationing supplies. Starting in January, food rations will be reduced to 70% for communities experiencing famine and 50% for those at risk, which he described as “the absolute minimum needed to survive.”

Even with these measures, Smith warned that WFP resources are sufficient to sustain current operations for only four months. “If another mass displacement occurs, the WFP will have no choice but to cut assistance elsewhere in Sudan,” he said, calling the situation “catastrophic” as the agency struggles to respond to what it describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. 

Six UN Peacekeepers Killed in Drone Attack in South Kordofan

By Al Mayadeen English

14 Dec 2025 00:04

A drone strike on a UN camp in Sudan’s South Kordofan killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers, highlighting the escalating conflict, expanding RSF advances, and deepening humanitarian crisis as diplomatic efforts remain stalled.

Six United Nations peacekeepers from Bangladesh were killed on Saturday after a drone strike hit a UN camp in the city of Kadugli, the capital of Sudan’s South Kordofan state, according to the United Nations mission operating in the area. The attack comes amid an intensifying phase of the war, marked by expanding drone warfare, territorial advances by paramilitary forces, and mounting international pressure.

The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) said in a statement that "six troops were killed and six injured", including four critically, when a drone struck their camp. The mission confirmed that all those killed were Bangladeshi nationals serving as peacekeepers.

Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus said he was "deeply saddened" by the incident, putting the toll at six dead and eight wounded. He urged the United Nations to ensure that Bangladeshi personnel receive "any necessary emergency support".

"The government of Bangladesh will stand by the families in this difficult moment," Yunus said.

Dhaka’s foreign ministry said it "strongly condemned" the attack.

A medical source in Kadugli earlier told AFP that at least six people were killed when a United Nations facility was struck, with witnesses reporting that those inside the building were UN employees. "Six people were killed in a bombing of the UN headquarters while they were inside the building," the source said. Eyewitnesses added that the strike was carried out by a drone.

Sudan’s army-aligned authorities, based in Port Sudan, accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the attack. In a statement, the Sovereignty Council headed by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan described the incident as a "dangerous escalation".

Siege Deepens

Kadugli has been besieged by the RSF for around a year and a half, and famine was declared in the area in early November. The city lies in South Kordofan, a region that has become a focal point of the conflict as the RSF pushes eastward following its late-October capture of El-Fasher, the Sudanese army’s last major stronghold in Darfur.

The broader Kordofan region occupies a strategic position between RSF-controlled Darfur in the west and army-held territory across northern, eastern, and central Sudan. Analysts say control of the area is crucial for maintaining supply routes and troop movements, and that recent RSF advances are aimed at breaching army defenses in central Sudan as part of a longer-term effort to retake Khartoum.

The attack on UN peacekeepers comes as drone strikes increasingly shape the conflict. In recent weeks, multiple strikes have hit civilian infrastructure in South Kordofan, including a kindergarten and a hospital in the town of Kalogi. According to the World Health Organization, those attacks killed 114 people, including 63 children, underscoring the growing toll on civilians.

International pressure on the RSF has also intensified. The United States recently imposed sanctions on networks it says are financing and recruiting fighters for the paramilitary group, while Britain sanctioned senior RSF commanders over alleged links to mass killings, sexual violence, and attacks on civilians. Despite these measures, fighting has continued to spread across central Sudan.

Mass Displacement

The UN refugee agency has warned that the RSF’s advances in Kordofan and Darfur could trigger a new wave of displacement, compounding what is already one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Tens of thousands have been killed since the war erupted in April 2023, millions have been forced from their homes, and large parts of the country face acute food insecurity.

Diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting remain stalled. While US President Donald Trump said last month that he would move to end the conflict following talks in Washington with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, no concrete ceasefire or political breakthrough has so far emerged.

Far-right Jose Antonio Kast Elected Chile’s Next President

By Al Mayadeen English

Ultra-conservative Jose Antonio Kast wins Chile’s presidential runoff with 58.16% of the vote, pledging hardline security and migration policies.

Ultra-conservative former congressman Jose Antonio Kast has been elected Chile’s next president after securing a decisive victory in Sunday’s runoff election.

With more than 99% of polling stations counted, Kast won 58.16% of the vote, defeating leftist candidate Jeannette Jara, a former labor minister under outgoing President Gabriel Boric, who garnered 41.84%, according to official results.

Kast’s victory marks a significant rightward turn in Chilean politics and follows years of mounting public concern over security, crime, and migration, despite Chile remaining among the safest countries in Latin America.

Campaign centred on security and migration

The president-elect, a staunch social conservative and vocal admirer of former dictator Augusto Pinochet, built his campaign around promises to restore order and expel undocumented migrants. The son of a former Nazi party member, Kast is also known for his opposition to abortion, even in rape cases, and same-sex marriage.

Addressing supporters after a lengthy wait on election night, Kast declared, "Here, no individual won, no party won – Chile won, and hope won."

"The hope of living without fear, that fear that torments families," he explained.

Over the past decade, Chile’s migrant population has doubled, driven largely by an influx of around 700,000 Venezuelans. Kast repeatedly framed migration as the main driver of rising insecurity, issuing an ultimatum during the campaign to roughly 330,000 undocumented migrants to leave the country before he takes office on March 11, or face expulsion “with only the clothes on their backs.”

In his victory speech, Kast vowed his government would show “great firmness” in confronting crime and disorder. “When we tell an irregular migrant that they are breaking the law and must leave our country if they ever want the chance to return, we mean it,” he stated.

Hardline policies and regional reactions

Kast’s platform includes Trump-inspired proposals to construct detention centres, fortified border barriers, and expanded military deployments along Chile’s northern borders with Peru and Bolivia.

This was Kast’s third presidential bid, after losing to Boric in the 2021 runoff. In a televised phone call, Boric congratulated Kast on "a clear victory" and invited him to La Moneda Palace to begin the transition. Boric remarked that Kast would come to understand "the loneliness of power" and the difficulty of governing.

Jara conceded the race, pledging to lead a "constructive" opposition while condemning "any hint of violence, wherever it comes from."

International reactions were swift. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Kast, saying Washington was confident Chile would advance shared priorities, including "strengthening public security" and "ending illegal immigration."

Argentina’s far-right President Javier Milei hailed Kast as a “friend,” celebrating the result as a victory against “21st-century socialism.” Additionally, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva offered congratulations, emphasizing cooperation and Latin America’s status as a “zone of peace.”

Challenges ahead in Congress

Despite his sweeping presidential win, Kast will not command an outright majority in either chamber of Congress, even with support from all rightwing parties, potentially complicating his legislative agenda.

He has pledged to cut $6 billion in public spending within 18 months, though details remain unclear. Political scientist Rossana Castiglioni of Universidad Diego Portales said uncertainty surrounds Kast’s economic plans, while his security agenda is far more defined.

“Where there is far less uncertainty is on security policy, because that has been his workhorse throughout the campaign,” she noted.

Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Youth Near West Bank's al-Khalil

By Al Mayadeen English

14 Dec 2025 21:28

A 23-year-old Palestinian was killed by Israeli occupation forces near al-Khalil, as raids, clashes, and demolition orders escalate across the West Bank.

A Palestinian youth was killed on Sunday evening after being shot by Israeli occupation forces north of the city of al-Khalil of the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The ministry said Mohammad Wael al-Sharouf, 23, succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head after Israeli soldiers opened fire on him at the northern entrance of al-Khalil. Witnesses said the soldiers left him bleeding at the scene, prevented ambulance crews from reaching him, and later withheld his body, while occupation forces sealed all main entrances to the city.

Israeli forces also raided the home of the slain youth in the town of Nuba, west of al-Khalil, amid heightened military deployment in the area.

In parallel incidents, confrontations erupted between Palestinian residents and Israeli occupation forces in the village of Aboud, northwest of Ramallah, without reports of injuries or arrests. Occupation forces also stormed the village of Deir Jarir, northeast of Ramallah, though no arrests or home raids were reported.

Separately, an Israeli military order was issued for the demolition of 25 residential buildings in Nur Shams refugee camp, east of the city of Tulkarm in the northern occupied West Bank, marking another escalation in ongoing Israeli measures across the territory.

Israeli forces kill teen in Jenin

Since dawn on Sunday, Israeli occupation forces have carried out extensive raids and arrests across various areas of the West Bank, raiding Palestinian homes and assaulting residents.

In al-Khalil, the IOF arrested several former detainees and university students, turning the home of detainee Mazen al-Natsheh into a field investigation site. Some of those detained were released after interrogation.

Additionally, three brothers from Halhul were briefly detained following a home raid in which their belongings were destroyed before being released later.

In Nablus, Israeli forces arrested Mohammad Ramadan after raiding his home in Tal village, southwest of the city, and detained several youths in the town of al-Zawiya, west of Salfit.

In Tulkarm, former detainee Saad Qasim and several other young men were detained during a raid on Yamon village, west of Jenin.

Israeli occupation forces also raided al-Mughayir village, northeast of Ramallah, closing the entrances of Attara and Ruwabi, while setting up a checkpoint near Nabi Saleh, north of Ramallah. Raids and detentions continued in Salem village, east of Nablus, and in the Umm al-Sharayet neighborhood in al-Bireh.

Administrative detainee killed in custody

Moreover, Administrative detainee Sakhr Ahmad Khalil Zaoul, 26, from the town of Husan, west of Beit Lahm, was killed while in Israeli custody.

The Prisoners’ Media Office mourned the death of Zaoul, which was announced on Sunday by the Civil Affairs Authority, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society.

Zaoul had been held in administrative detention since June 11, 2025, in Ofer Prison. According to his family, he did not suffer from any chronic illnesses. His brother, Khalil Zaoul, remains imprisoned in Israeli detention facilities.

The Prisoners’ Media Office attributed Zaoul’s death to what it described as the occupation’s ongoing policy of “slow execution” against Palestinian detainees. It said detainees are subjected to harsh conditions, deprived of the most basic necessities of life, and exposed to torture, starvation, medical neglect, and physical and psychological abuse, leading to an increasing number of deaths inside Israeli prisons.

‘Al-Aqsa Flood a Milestone’: Hamas Marks 38 Years of Resistance

By Al Mayadeen English`

14 Dec 2025 12:30

On its 38th anniversary, Hamas hails the Al-Aqsa Flood as a milestone in the struggle for Palestinian freedom amid the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.

The Islamic Resistance group, Hamas, has priorities that include ending the war, completing the delivery of aid, implementing the ceasefire, and upholding the right to Resistance for liberation, Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, stated.

In a speech commemorating the 38th anniversary of the founding of Hamas, al-Hayya highlighted that Hamas’ focus in the coming period is to address the challenges and risks the Palestinian cause is facing. He emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to halt hostilities, particularly by completing the delivery of humanitarian aid and reopening the Rafah crossing.

He also stressed the need to implement the ceasefire agreement, calling on the US administration, and specifically President Donald Trump, to pressure the occupation into compliance.

Al-Hayya invoked the memory of those martyred during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, foremost among them the martyred leader of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and the martyred commander Saeed Izadi, "Hajj Ramadan", the commander of the Palestine Corps of the IRGC’s Quds Force.

Al-Hayya noted that the anniversary comes amid a different reality for the Palestinian cause, as the Palestinian people endure difficult days and severe suffering due to Israeli aggression and a campaign of collective extermination.

He praised the freedom-fighting leader Raed Saad, “Abu Muadh,” "who dedicated his life to his religion and homeland, fought in the path of God, and lived pursued by the occupation." Al-Hayya also emphasized the suffering of Palestinians in the West Bank, who face a systematic campaign of terror, and those in the territories occupied in 1948, who endure occupation and racism under ongoing oppression and land grabs.

He also confirmed that Palestinians in exile and the diaspora continue to face hardships and deprivation, along with attempts to erase their identity.

Despite these challenges, the Resistance leader maintained, the longstanding Israeli narrative has collapsed, new convictions have emerged among rising Palestinian elites, and the Palestinian people and Resistance have achieved a series of strategic victories, such as breaking the myth of strategic deterrence, exposing Israeli claims, taking its leaders and soldiers to international courts, and revealing its grim image to the world.

Resistance, weapons are a legally recognized right

Al-Hayya noted that the Resistance has succeeded in restoring the natural status of the Palestinian cause, which had declined over the past decades, and in raising the project of resistance as a hope for Arab and Islamic peoples on the path to liberation and return.

He confirmed that the Resistance and its weapons are a legitimate right guaranteed under international law, pointing out that the movement is open to considering any proposals that preserve this right while ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

In his closing remarks, al-Hayya stressed the importance of strengthening national unity, restoring the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s standing, and pursuing legal accountability against the occupation and politically isolating it. He called for action at the regional and international levels to expand support for the Palestinian cause.

He also expressed gratitude to all who have supported the Palestinian people and stood with their cause, especially mediators in Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, affirming that Hamas “will remain loyal to its goals of liberating Palestine.”

Hamas affirms its adherence to ceasefire, while 'Israel' violates it

Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, on the 38th anniversary of its founding, described the Al-Aqsa Flood as a “prominent milestone in the Palestinian people’s journey toward freedom and independence, leaving the occupation unable to achieve its goals despite its war machinery.”

Hamas commemorated its anniversary amid the ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip, which has affected more than two million Palestinians, and continues alongside Israeli crimes in the occupied West Bank and occupied al-Quds.

The movement emphasized that it has adhered to all the terms of the ceasefire agreement, while the occupation continues to violate it daily, highlighting "Israel's" failure to respect ceasefire agreements. Hamas called on mediators and the US administration to pressure the occupation into implementing the agreement and to condemn its ongoing systematic breaches.

It also stressed its categorical rejection of any form of trusteeship or mandate over the Gaza Strip or any part of the occupied Palestinian territories, warning against acquiescing to attempts at displacement or the restructuring of the sector according to enemy plans.

The movement affirmed that the Palestinian people decide their own leadership, are capable of managing their affairs independently, and have the legitimate right to defend themselves, liberate their land, and establish their fully sovereign state with al-Quds as its capital.

Hamas calls on Arab, Islamic nations to pressure 'Israel'

Hamas called on the Arab and Islamic nations, including leaders, governments, peoples, and organizations, to take urgent action and exert all possible efforts to pressure the occupation to end its aggression, reopen crossings, deliver aid, and immediately implement relief, shelter, and reconstruction plans to provide natural living needs for more than two million Palestinians.

The movement pointed out that Israeli crimes during the two years of extermination and starvation in Gaza, the West Bank, and al-Quds are systematic and documented, and they do not lapse with time. Hamas urged the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court to continue pursuing and prosecuting the occupation and its criminal leaders, so as to prevent them from evading accountability.

Hamas affirmed that it will remain steadfast in its principles, loyal to the blood and sacrifices of its people and prisoners, maintaining its values and identity, and defending the aspirations of the Palestinian people across all areas of the homeland and in refugee camps and the diaspora, until liberation and return are achieved.

The rights of Palestinian detainees

Regarding Israeli plans targeting al-Quds and the al-Aqsa Mosque, Hamas described them as “illegitimate", asserting that they “will not succeed in imposing Judaization, settlement expansion, or erasing the city and mosque’s features, as al-Quds will remain the eternal capital of Palestine, and the al-Aqsa Mosque will remain purely Islamic.”

Hamas also highlighted the rights of Palestinian detainees, stating that the occupation government’s crimes against them constitute a "sadistic and systematic policy of revenge, turning prisons into direct killing fields." The movement stressed that the liberation of Palestinian detainees remains a top national priority and expressed concern over the international silence on their just cause, calling on the international community and human rights organizations to pressure the occupation to stop its crimes against them.

Regarding Palestinian national unity, Hamas called for a reorganization of the Palestinian house under a unified strategy of resistance, as it is the only way to confront occupation schemes and their supporters.

'Israel' poses a threat to regional stability

Hamas noted that the ongoing war of extermination, starvation, and sovereignty violations by the Israeli occupation in Palestine and some Arab countries demonstrates that the Israeli entity has become a "rogue state", posing a real threat to the security and stability of the region and international peace, necessitating international action to curb its actions, stop its terrorism, isolate it, and end its occupation.

The movement praised the efforts and sacrifices of all Resistance forces and free peoples worldwide who supported the Palestinian people and Resistance. Hamas called for unifying the nation’s efforts and resources in all fields toward liberating Palestine and ending the occupation.

Hamas also welcomed the global grassroots solidarity movement with Palestine and appreciated all official and popular positions supporting the Palestinian cause, calling for the escalation of popular and solidarity campaigns against the occupation until achieving legitimate rights to freedom and independence.