Headline

Deadly Fighting Between Army, Paramilitaries In Sudan Capital

Published

2 years ago

April 15, 2023

Fighting continued into the night in the Sudanese capital Saturday after a day of deadly battles between paramilitaries and the regular army that left at least three civilians dead and sparked international alarm.

Explosions and gunfire could still be heard on the deserted streets of Khartoum, according to witnesses, after the paramilitaries said they were in control of the presidential place, Khartoum airport and other vital facilities.

The army denied the claims, and in a late Saturday statement, the Sudanese air force urged people to stay indoors as it continued air strikes against bases of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Fighter jets were earlier seen flying overhead.

Windows rattled and apartment buildings shook in many parts of Khartoum during the clashes, according to AFP correspondents.

Medics reported the three civilian deaths, including at Khartoum airport and in North Kordofan state, but cautioned that the exact toll was still unclear.

Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier Saudia said one of its planes, with passengers and crew aboard waiting for departure, was “exposed to gunfire damage”.

Bakry, 24, who works in marketing, said Khartoum residents had “never seen anything like” this unrest, which left dark smoke hanging over the capital.

“People were terrified and running back home. The streets emptied very quickly”, said Bakry, who gave only a first name.

Violence erupted after weeks of deepening tensions between military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, over the planned integration of Daglo’s RSF into the regular army.

The integration was a key element of talks to finalise a deal that would return the country to civilian rule and end the political-economic crisis sparked by the military’s 2021 coup.

Created in 2013, the RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militia that then-president Omar al-Bashir unleashed against non-Arab ethnic minorities in the western Darfur region a decade earlier, drawing accusations of war crimes.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through his spokesperson, warned that “further escalation in the fighting will have a devastating impact on civilians and further aggravate the already precarious humanitarian situation in the country.”

He said he is engaging with regional leaders and reaffirmed UN support for efforts to restore Sudan’s democratic transition.

In a joint call, the Saudi and United Arab Emirates foreign ministers along with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasised “the importance of stopping the military escalation”, the Saudi ministry said.

– Trading blame –

Similar appeals came from the African and Arab regional blocs, the European Union, France, Italy, Russia and Iran.

But in an interview with UAE-based Sky News Arabia, Daglo, who is also known as Hemeti, said, “Burhan the criminal must surrender.”

He denied that RSF had started the fight, after Burhan in an earlier statement said he “was surprised by Rapid Support Forces attacking his home at 9:00 am”.

The army, on its Facebook page, declared Daglo a “wanted criminal” and the RSF a “rebel militia”, saying there “will be no negotiations or talks until the dissolution” of the group.

The military said it carried out air strikes and destroyed two RSF bases in Khartoum. It said the airport and other bases remain under its “full control”, and published a photograph of black smoke billowing from what it said was the RSF headquarters.

The latest deaths, during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, came after more than 120 civilians had already been killed in a crackdown on regular pro-democracy demonstrations since the coup.

RSF published on Twitter a video showing uniformed men which it claimed were “Egyptian soldiers who surrendered with Sudanese military” in Meroe, northern Sudan.

Egypt’s army confirmed “the presence of Egyptian forces” in Sudan for exercises, and said it was following the situation.

Daglo told Sky News Arabia that the Egyptians will not be harmed and will be returned home.

Haggling between Daglo and Burhan has twice delayed the signing of an agreement with civilian factions setting out a roadmap for restoring the democratic transition disrupted by the 2021 coup.

On Saturday, witnesses reported clashes around the state media building in Khartoum’s sister city Omdurman. Others described clashes in the Darfur region and elsewhere.

Chad, which borders Darfur, said it was closing its frontier, “faced with this troubling situation.”

– Waking up to gunfire –

The military’s civilian interlocutors and ex-prime minister Abdalla Hamdok appealed for a ceasefire, a plea echoed by US ambassador John Godfrey who tweeted that he “woke up to the deeply disturbing sounds of gunfire and fighting”.

Daglo has said the coup was a mistake that failed to bring about change and reinvigorated remnants of Bashir’s regime ousted by the army in 2019 following mass protests.

Burhan, who rose through the ranks under Bashir’s three-decade rule, maintained the coup was necessary to bring more groups into the political process.

Headline

Nigerian Grandmother Sacked By UK Varsity Over Misplaced Bracelet

Published

8 hours ago

June 6, 2025

Editor

A 71-year-old Nigerian grandmother, Janet Olufunke Damiro, has been dismissed from her cleaning job at the London School of Economics after being accused of stealing a bracelet.

British tabloid newspaper, Metro UK, exclusively reports on Thursday that Damiro, who moved to the United Kingdom from Nigeria in 1971 and had worked at LSE for 13 years, said she simply forgot the gold bracelet in her purse after finding it during her shift and intending to hand it in later.

She returned it three days later when questioned by management, but was still suspended and eventually dismissed in April for gross misconduct.

Damiro said, “I can’t sleep. I have never had a bad record or been to HR before in my life.

“LSE have treated me really badly. It was my only job, and I loved working there. I never expected to be suspended or dismissed.

“I did not steal this thing. If I see any items, I always hand them over.

“This is the first time in my life I have had a problem like this since I came to this country. It is really bugging me.”

Metro reports that more than 70 of her colleagues, including three supervisors, have written to LSE management in her defence, insisting on her honesty and professionalism.

“Janet has always conducted herself with integrity and consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic,” their letter read.

Her trade union, United Voices of the World, in a post on its website last month, appealed the dismissal and criticised the university’s handling of the situation.

Speaking with UVW, Damiro said, “I don’t steal. I’m not a thief. I’ve worked at LSE for over 10 years without any problems. I just forgot. At my age, you can forget like that.

“They look at me like I’m a thief. It’s unfair. I’ve not been myself at all, I don’t sleep at night. I don’t have a job now, but I have to pay my rent and bills. Who’s going to employ me at this age?”

According to Metro, the university has declined to comment publicly, citing the ongoing nature of the case.

Meanwhile, LSE students have launched a petition calling for her reinstatement, describing the punishment as “deeply disturbing” for what they believe was a “minor mistake.”

An appeal hearing initially scheduled for May 22 was adjourned, and a new date has been set for later in June.

Headline

Family Kicks As UK Varsity Sacks Nigerian Grandmother

Published

8 hours ago

June 6, 2025

Editor

The family of Janet Damiro, a 71-year-old cleaner recently dismissed from the London School of Economics, has responded to widespread reports surrounding the incident, describing the online and media narratives as misleading and lacking critical context.

The victim’s daughter, Aina Damiro, in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Friday, clarified the events that led to her mother’s dismissal, stating that the situation has been “blown out of proportion.”

According to her, the incident occurred in February during the final minutes of Janet’s morning shift when she found a bracelet on the floor.

She reportedly picked it up with the intention of handing it in but inadvertently forgot.

She said that the bracelet was left untouched in her coin wallet, which remained in her locker at the university.

“When approached about the bracelet a few days later, she was honest and cooperative.

“She retrieved it immediately and explained what had happened. There was no denial or attempt to hide it,” she said.

The family insists this was a case of forgetfulness rather than theft or misconduct, stressing that Janet had served the institution faithfully for years.

They argued that the university’s decision to terminate her employment was a disproportionate response lacking empathy, especially for an older worker nearing retirement.

The family said, “To see her name and image used to suggest wrongdoing is not only unfair but deeply hurtful.

“This was an innocent mistake that has been misrepresented in a way that raises questions about how older workers, particularly women of colour in lower-paid roles, are treated.”

The family stated that Janet granted the interview to the Metro UK in good faith, hoping to raise awareness, not to be vilified.

“We hope the public and media will reconsider how they are framing this story,” the family added, urging institutions to reflect on their duty to support vulnerable and long-serving members of staff.

The London School of Economics has not issued a formal response as of press time.

The case has since sparked conversation online under hashtags such as #JusticeForJanet and #RespectElderWorkers.

Headline

Myanmar Arrests Six-year-old Girl, 15 Others Over Ex-general’s Death

Published

8 hours ago

June 6, 2025

Editor

Myanmar authorities have arrested 16 people including a six-year-old girl over the assassination of a retired general shot dead in Yangon last month, state media said.

A former ambassador to Cambodia, Cho Tun Aung, was gunned down outside his home on May 22 in an attack claimed by an anti-junta group calling itself the “Golden Valley Warriors”.

Myanmar’s military seized power in a 2021 coup, plunging the country into a complex, multi-sided civil war involving pro-democracy guerrillas and resurgent ethnic minority armed groups.

Most fighting is confined to the countryside and smaller towns but grenade and gun attacks on junta-linked targets are regularly reported in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city and commercial hub.

The Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said 16 members of the Golden Valley Warriors — 13 men and three females — had been arrested in various locations.

Those held include the wife and six-year-old daughter of the suspected shooter, identified as Myo Ko Ko, the state-run newspaper said, without explaining what the girl is accused of.

The report said Myo Ko Ko and another suspect rode to the general’s home on bicycles and shot him before fleeing to a safe house.

The junta has suffered significant territorial setbacks in recent months but analysts say it is far from defeat, with a powerful air force supplied with Russian jets and military backing from China.

AFP