A top Sudanese general says that in spite of foreign efforts to mediate a ceasefire in the country’s 17-month civil conflict, the army would continue to advance.
According to Assistant Commander-in-Chief Lt Gen Ibrahim Gabir, “peace talks can go on, but the army will not stop for that,” as said to the BBC.
Just a few days had passed since the army began its operation to retake Khartoum from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) when he made his remarks.
Since their leaders disagreed on the future of the nation in April of last year, the two sides have been at odds. Millions of people have been displaced from their homes, and more than half the nation is experiencing starvation as a result of this humanitarian disaster.
In the extensive interview that the Sudanese authorities held, the general also made hints about dealing with Iran and denied there was famine in the country.
“When the parties agree [to a ceasefire], the army can stop,” he said, repeating army demands that the RSF withdraw from areas that it has occupied.
“Let the international community exert pressure on the militia to stop the fighting and leave the houses that it’s taken,” he said, adding he was “more confident” now that the army had the momentum.
Over 100 people are set to sue rap musician Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs for sexual assault, rape, and sexual exploitation. Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee claims that some of the alleged victims include minors who were abused when they were as young as nine years old. Combs denies the allegations, calling them “false and defamatory.” Buzbee and his team will continue to find potentially liable parties in the alleged abuse or any individual or entity who participated in or benefited from this egregious behavior.
The legal action is the latest against Combs, who was arrested last week and is facing criminal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. He is currently in federal custody after being denied bail, which he is appealing. Combs has denied all allegations of criminal wrongdoing.
The total number of alleged victims he is representing is 120, with half of them being men and the other half women hailing from more than 25 states across the US. 25 of the alleged victims are minors, marking the first time Combs has been accused of sexually abusing children. The allegations span between 1991 and as recently as this year, with most of the incidents occurring after 2015. Most of the plaintiffs allege they were date raped after parties hosted by Combs, held at well-known venues, private residences, and hotels.
Many young people wanting to break into the industry were coerced into this type of conduct in the promise of being made a star or having Sean Combs listen to their tape. One man, aged nine at the time, alleges he was sexually abused by Combs and his associates at a recording studio in New York while trying to land a record deal. Another man, also a minor at the time, alleged he was told by Combs he would be made a “star” but had to visit the rapper alone without his parents.
The biggest secret in the entertainment industry has finally been revealed to the world, and there will be individual cases filed for each alleged victim.
The Sudanese general, Gen. Gabir, has denied accusations of war crimes in a UN report, citing evidence of indiscriminate bombing, attacks on schools and hospitals, and arbitrary detention and torture. He emphasized that the Sudanese army are not angels but individuals who commit crimes.
The general did not predict the duration of the war, comparing it to America’s 20-year-long battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Sudan War Monitor, a group of researchers tracking the conflict, explains that the war’s protracted nature is due to the size of Sudan and the large warring parties.
(BBC)
