Egypt
Egypt’s Khaled El-Enany gains support for UNESCO director-general bid
The race for UNESCO’s top position is heating up, with Khaled El-Enany, Egypt’s former Minister of Tourism, emerging as a strong contender.
The U.S. on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a commander of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, accusing him of being involved in human rights abuses in West Darfur, as Washington increases pressure over the war in the African nation.
The war in Sudan has produced waves of ethnically-driven violence blamed largely on the RSF © Mena Today
The U.S. on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a commander of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, accusing him of being involved in human rights abuses in West Darfur, as Washington increases pressure over the war in the African nation.
The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said Abdel Rahman Juma Barkalla led the RSF's campaign in West Darfur, which the department said was marked by credible claims of serious human rights abuses, including the targeting of civilians, conflict-related sexual violence and ethnically-motivated violence.
The action follows sanctions imposed on Barkalla by a United Nations Security Council committee last week and marks the latest action by Washington over the war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 from a power struggle between the Sudanese army and RSF ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule.
"Today's action underscores our commitment to hold accountable those who seek to facilitate these horrific acts of violence against vulnerable civilian populations in Sudan," Bradley Smith, Treasury's acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in the statement.
"The United States remains focused on supporting an end to this conflict and calls on both sides to participate in peace talks and ensure the basic human rights of all Sudanese civilians," Smith said.
The war in Sudan has produced waves of ethnically-driven violence blamed largely on the RSF. The RSF denies harming civilians and attributes the activity to rogue elements.
The U.N. says nearly 25 million people - half of Sudan's population - need aid. Famine has taken hold in displacement camps, 11 million people have fled their homes and nearly three million of those people have left for other countries.
By Daphne Psaledakis
The race for UNESCO’s top position is heating up, with Khaled El-Enany, Egypt’s former Minister of Tourism, emerging as a strong contender.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi began his European tour with a state visit to Denmark, meeting King Frederik X in Copenhagen on Friday.
In a significant shift in Egypt's procurement strategy, Mostakbal Misr for Sustainable Development has assumed responsibility for importing strategic commodities, replacing the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC).
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