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Displaced Sudanese women prepare tea at a Medecin Sans Frontiere hospital at Golo, west Darfur, in October.
Hard Numbers: Sudan death toll far worse than feared, Gazprom cuts off Austria, Pope suggests Israeli “genocide” in Gaza, Record-breaking fight night, History-making Hebridean shopping
242,000,000: Russia’s state-owned Gazprom is cutting off natural gas supplies to Austria. The move comes in response to Austrian oil company OMV’s announcement that it would stop paying for the gas to offset a $242 million arbitration award it won due to an earlier energy cut-off to its German subsidiary. Gazprom responded that it would halt gas delivery starting on Saturday. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer reassured citizens the country has enough gas reserves to last the winter.
70: Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed 70 people in northern Gaza early Sunday, and dozens more remained trapped in the rubble. This coincides with comments by Pope Francis suggesting that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza “has the characteristics of a genocide.” The comments were included in excerpts from an upcoming book published on Sunday.
60,000,000: If you tuned in for the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight on Friday, you had lots of company. Netflix says a “record-breaking” 60 million households watched Iron Mike’s first fight in nearly 20 years. While Paul beat Tyson, neither boxer was knocked out, and they both made a killing: Paul is expected to have raked in around $40 million to Tyson’s $20 million.
2,039: History was made in Scotland’s Stornoway, the largest town in the Hebrides, on Sunday. Despite 2,039 of the town’s roughly 7,000 residents signing an online petition against a local Tesco store opening on Sundays – critics wanted to “keep Sunday special” and shopping-free – the United Kingdom's largest grocer opened its doors to “allow customers more flexibility.”
Refugee women stand in the Gorom refugee settlement during Foreign Minister Baerbock's visit.
UN accuses Sudan militia of mass rape
The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan has just issued a new report accusing the Rapid Support Forces militia of using sexual violence to control civilians in their territory. The report follows one of the deadliest single incidents of the 18-month-old civil war: On Friday, RSF troops killed at least 124 people, injured nearly 200, and detained scores in a village southeast of Khartoum.
Activists told CNN that the RSF deliberately targets communication links, especially Starlink devices, so the true casualty and arrest figures are likely “significantly higher.” The number of detentions is extremely worrying, as the UN’s report found that the RSF routinely forces detained and abducted girls and women into sexual slavery, with victims ranging in age from 8 to 75.
The report also documents the use of gang rape to punish civilians for perceived support for the Sudanese Armed Forces, the old regime, or human rights activism. Victims suffer not only from the violence and trauma but from broader social isolation as many are shunned by their family and peers — or even killed.
What led to the massacre? Last month, the SAF launched an offensive against RSF-held areas in the capital, Khartoum, and pushed into surrounding states including El-Gezira, where Friday’s massacre occurred. As the RSF has pulled back toward its core base in Darfur to the west, its fighters have retaliated against civilians. Omran Abdullah, a senior RSF spokesperson, told Al-Jazeera the victims were fighting for the SAF, however.
The UN is calling for an immediate cease-fire, urgent distribution of food and medicine, a peacekeeping force to protect civilians, and an international judicial process to bring some small measure of justice to victims. As intense and deeply disturbing as the violence has proven, we are not holding our breath for a strong response from the international community.
Palestinian baby Reem Abu Hayya, 8 months old, is being cared for by her grandmother in the family home in the town of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Yunis Palestinian baby Reem Abu Hayya, 8 months old, is being cared for by her grandmother in the family home in the town of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 29, 2024.
Hard Numbers: US asks Israel to explain ‘horrifying’ airstrike, Deadly post-election violence in Mozambique, Washington Post hemorrhaging subscribers, Sudan civil war continues to fuel displacement
93: The US is asking Israel for answers regarding a Tuesday airstrike on a residential building in northern Gaza that left at least 93 Palestinians dead or missing. A State Department spokesperson described the strike as a “horrifying incident with a horrifying result."
11: Security forces in Mozambique killed at least 11 people last week amid protests sparked by a disputed presidential election, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. The rights group called for an investigation into the “excessive use of force” against demonstrators in the southern African nation. Daniel Chapo, candidate of the ruling Frelimo party, was declared the winner but observers said the election was not free and fair.
250,000: The Washington Post reportedly lost over 250,000 subscribers in recent days in the face of backlash over owner Jeff Bezos’ decision to block the paper from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. This represents roughly 10% of the paper’s paid circulation.
14 million: Over 14 million people are displaced in Sudan, the head of the International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday, with roughly 11 million internally displaced and over three million who have crossed borders. Sudan has been consumed by a brutal civil war since April 2023, which has fueled a devastating humanitarian crisis and seen waves of people flee their homes.Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom party, part of the hard-right coalition government.
Hard Numbers: The Netherlands nixes asylum-seekers, Sudan strife escalates, South Koreans agitate, Beijing condemns US-Taiwan arms deal, Bulgarians vote – again
51,000: The Dutch nationalist government on Friday approved tough new migration measures in Parliament, including enhanced border checks, an end to mandatory municipal settlement of asylum-seekers, and limits on family reunification. The policy comes after 51,000 asylum applications were made in the past 12 months and reflects shifts in Italy, Sweden, and other EU nations towards tighter migration controls.
124: An attack by the Rapid Support Forces on Friday killed at least 124 people in Al-Sareeha village in Sudan, with reports of over 200 injured and 150 detained. The attack marked the latest escalation in the conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, which has displaced millions and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis.
230,000: South Korean Christians held a mass protest in Seoul on Sunday to oppose a court ruling granting same-sex partners spousal health benefits, fearing it paves the way for legalizing same-sex marriage. The protest disrupted traffic as organizers claimed over a million participants, while police estimated the crowd at 230,000.
2 billion: China on Saturday condemned a $2 billion US arms sale to Taiwan, the 17th of the Biden administration to the island, vowing “countermeasures” to defend its sovereignty. Beijing warns that the deal, which includes advanced air defense systems, “seriously damages China-US relations, and endangers peace and stability” in the strait.
7: Exit polls show Boyko Borisov's GERB party leading Bulgaria’s seventh election in three years, but forming a coalition could be difficult: The last election in June produced a hung Parliament. This time, the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party underperformed, while the Reformist PP-DB exceeded expectations. Final results are expected on Monday.Hard Numbers: China launches Taiwan drills, Former Scottish leader dies, Sudanese military kills civilians, Ukraine raids bars for holdouts
125: China launched major military drills around Taiwan on Monday, including a single-day record of 125 aircraft, an aircraft carrier, and other naval assets, in response to Taiwanese President William Lai's National Day speech framing Taiwan as a separate country from China. In addition to the drills, Beijing is threatening to impose further economic sanctions on the island it considers a breakaway province.
69: Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmonddied at age 69 on Saturday, shortly after giving a speech in North Macedonia. Salmond, who is believe to have succumbed to a massive heart attack, was a heavyweight in Edinburgh for three decades, having led the Scottish National Party to become a dominant force and pressed for independence after the reestablishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.
23: At least 23 Sudanese civilians died this weekend after armed forces struck a market in the capital Khartoum, where it recently launched an offensive to dislodge the rebel Rapid Support Forces. More than 25 million people — half of Sudan’s population — are in severe need of food and medicine as the ongoing civil war has no end in sight.
25-60: Ukrainian authorities have reportedly begun raiding bars and concert venues looking for men aged 25-60 who have not complied with conscription laws. Ukraine is facing a severe manpower shortage and is intensifying efforts to find and induct able-bodied soldiers to hold the line against Russia’s superior manpower reserves.Plumes of smoke rise during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan, September 26, 2024.
Sudanese Army launches offensive to retake capital
Residents of Khartoum awoke Thursday to dawn airstrikes and artillery shelling as the country’s armed forces launched an offensive against the rebel Rapid Support Forces militia. The Sudanese Armed Forces have reportedly captured two bridges connecting Khartoum, on the east bank of the Nile, to Omdurman on the west, and are pushing toward the presidential palace amid heavy fighting.
What’s the outlook? Sudan’s military counts on air superiority and artillery, but the RSF’s infantry has historically outmatched them. The RSF also enjoys considerable backing from the United Arab Emirates — a significant military power — as well as Libyan warlord Khalifa Belqasim Omar Haftar and the Russian mercenaries formerly known as the Wagner Group.
Sudan’s armed forces can count on less outside backing: Russia’s involvement has led to a limited deployment of Ukrainian special forces, and Iran has provided some drones (which, ironically, Tehran also provides Russia to fight against Ukraine). Even if they do manage to push the RSF out of Khartoum, Sudan’s military faces steep odds for regaining the whole country.
Is there a chance for peace? Only through negotiation, according to Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the head of Sudan’s military. He called for the end to hostilities and a holistic peace process when he spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York Thursday. However, his speech was hardly an olive branch: He accused the RSF of genocide for their slaughter of Black ethnic groups in Darfur province and even alleged that women and children had been sold as chattel in RSF-controlled markets.
We’re watching for who wins the fight in Khartoum, and whether the result of the battle might bring relief closer for the long-suffering Sudanese population.
A child, suffering from malnutrition, is treated at Port Sudan Paediatric Centre, during a visit by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to the country, in Sudan, on Sept. 7, 2024.
Hard Numbers: Cholera spreads in Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo turns to an unlikely source to boost tourism, Mass executions held in Iraq, Gunman hijacks bus in LA
430: Over 430 people have died from cholera in Sudan in the past month, according to the country’s health ministry, and the devastating civil war there is making it hard to provide treatment. Doctors Without Borders recently described the health system in Sudan as “decimated” and warned that the humanitarian response amid the cholera outbreak is “regularly obstructed by both warring parties.”
3: AC Milan, one of Italy’s top soccer teams, is reportedly in talks with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for a three-year sponsorship deal that would see the club promote the African country as a tourism destination. But there’s an ongoing war in the DRC. Vacationing in a war zone – what could go wrong? The Italian ambassador to the country was killed there just three years ago when the convoy he was traveling with was ambushed, making it no surprise that Italy currently advises people against visiting the country.
21: Iraq executed 21 people, including a woman, on Wednesday, with most reportedly charged with terrorism. Rights groups like Amnesty International have fiercely criticized Iraq for convicting people on “overly broad and vague terrorism charges,” and they have urged the Iraqi government to halt executions.
7: A bus was hijacked by a gunman in Los Angeles on Wednesday and traveled nearly seven miles before coming to a stop after police used spike strips and punctured one of the tires. One passenger reportedly died from gunshot wounds. The suspect has surrendered, but the motive remains unclear.
A destroyed car stands in front of a house full of bullet holes in Sudan.
Sudan accuses UAE of exploiting, prolonging war
The Sudanese government used Wednesday’s UN Security Council meeting — convened to vote on extending an arms embargo in Sudan’s western Darfur region — to accuse the United Arab Emirates of arming the Rapid Support Forces, extending the country’s 17-month-long civil war, and profiting from illegal sales of Sudanese gold. The UAE strongly denied the accusations and blamed Sudan for refusing to show up at the August peace talks.
Death in Darfur: Sudan says the UAE is supporting the RSF’s atrocities in the Darfur by airlifting weapons to remote airfields in Chad, where militants exploit border openings meant for fleeing refugees to move arms. The RSF, directly descended from the ethnic Arab Janjaweed militias that carried out the brutal 2003-05 genocide in Darfur, is again targeting the region’s Black ethnic groups for systematic murder, rape, and displacement.
The Sudanese Armed Forces, meanwhile, are accused of war crimes, including reckless targeting of residential areas and execution of civilians, though not ethnic cleansing.
What’s next? The world has paid pitifully scant attention to Sudan’s war, despite the deaths of 20,000 people, the displacement of a staggering 13 million civilians, mass hunger verging on famine, and compelling evidence of systematic rape and the recruitment of child soldiers. The UN is seeking $2.7 billion to address the humanitarian needs but has received only 41% of what it needs.
The Security Council voted unanimously to extend the arms embargo — but can the holes be sufficiently plugged to stem the flow of weapons to the region?