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📰 Egypt's secret role in Sudan?

📰 Egypt's secret role in Sudan?

and UN rejects Saudi bid

Ross Crabtree & Billy Robinson
October 10, 2024

Hello and welcome back.

In the past 24 hours, the UN has condemned El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's crackdown on environmental activists, while Saudi Arabia's bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council has failed.

In global conflict news, a Ukrainian drone strike targeted a North Korean arms cache in Russia, RSF militia leader Hemedti accused Egypt of interfering in Sudan, and an Israeli offensive in Jabalia threatens one of Gaza's last functioning hospitals.

Today’s main focus is on the high-profile bilateral meeting between Saudi and Iranian delegations, convening to address the escalating violence in the Middle East.

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇸🇩 🇪🇬 RSF militia’s leader, Hemedti, accuses Egypt of interference in Sudan: RSF leader Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo has accused Egypt of direct military involvement in Sudan, claiming that Egyptian airstrikes have inflicted heavy losses on RSF forces. He alleges that Egypt has been lobbying the U.S., EU, and regional allies to isolate the RSF and support its ally, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), as the sole power in Sudan. Hemedti noted that Egypt has used U.S.-made fighter jets, along with MiG-29M2 aircraft, to strike RSF positions, highlighting that these attacks are not new but were previously overlooked to avoid public disputes with Egypt. He also accused Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iran of sending recruits, mercenaries, and weapons to the SAF, and criticised Western backing of Egypt’s strategy in Sudan. He suggested that Egyptian militarism has resurfaced as a prominent force in the region.

2️⃣ 🇺🇳 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia’s bid to join UN Human Rights Council rejected: In a largely uncontested vote, Saudi Arabia’s bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council was rejected by States at the UN General Assembly, stalling its efforts to gain a more prominent role in global human rights mechanisms. Due to its well-documented record of human rights violations, Saudi Arabia failed to secure a position, coming in last in the competitive Asia-Pacific regional slate. Member States elected 18 new Council members, with Saudi Arabia receiving just 117 votes, behind countries like Thailand, Cyprus, and Qatar. Madeleine Sinclair, Director of ISHR’s New York office, welcomed the decision, stating that Saudi Arabia’s dismal human rights record, which includes atrocity crimes and the suppression of civil society, should disqualify it from a body tasked with addressing such abuses.

3️⃣ 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Israeli offensive on Jabaliya threatens one of Gaza’s last operating hospitals: At least 16 people were killed and many others wounded in Israeli airstrikes near Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital in northern Gaza. According to Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Kamala Adwan Hospital, the victims died when an Israeli warplane struck tents sheltering displaced civilians outside the hospital. Paramedics confirmed that the dead included women and children, with many of the bodies severely burned. A second airstrike later targeted displaced people at the hospital's entrance, causing more casualties, as reported by Gaza Civil Defense. The Israeli army has enforced a blockade around northern Gaza, cutting it off from Gaza City. Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire, Israel’s offensive on Gaza continues, with over 42,000 people killed, mostly women and children, and severe shortages of essential resources amid ongoing displacement.

4️⃣ 🇺🇦 🇷🇺 🇰🇵 North Korean arms cache hit by Ukrainian drone strike in Russia: The Ukrainian military reported striking a weapons depot in western Russia—situated in the Bryansk border region—which stored missiles and munitions, including those supplied by North Korea. According to Ukraine's General Staff, the drone attack was intended to disrupt Russian logistics and weaken its offensive capabilities. The arsenal contained ammunition for missile and artillery systems, including glide bombs, with much of it stored outdoors. Following the attack, Bryansk authorities declared a state of emergency due to detonations, though they did not confirm the depot strike. The incident comes after South Korea claimed that North Korean soldiers are fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun suggested that six North Korean officers were likely killed in a recent Ukrainian strike near Donetsk. Both North Korea and Russia deny allegations of a weapons supply agreement.

5️⃣ 🇺🇸 🇨🇳 Wall Street soars, Shanghai stock exchange records worst drop since early Covid: U.S. stocks reached new highs on Wednesday, shrugging off turbulence in Chinese markets, where the Hang Seng dropped 1.4% and Shanghai stocks saw their biggest loss since early 2020. The S&P 500 gained 0.7%, surpassing its previous record, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1%, adding 431 points. The Nasdaq composite also increased by 0.6%. Cruise-ship companies led the rally, buoyed by the strong U.S. job market. Norwegian Cruise Line surged 10.9% after a Citi upgrade, predicting solid growth for the industry through 2025. Carnival climbed 7%, and Royal Caribbean added 5.3%. Helen of Troy, maker of Hydro Flask and OXO products, jumped 17.9% following better-than-expected quarterly results, though inflation continues to strain consumer spending. Meanwhile, analysts tempered expectations for significant economic announcements from China’s National Development and Reform Commission.

Major Story

🇸🇦 🇮🇷 SAUDI CROWN PRINCE MEETS IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER TO DISCUSS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss regional developments, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Despite the 2023 China-brokered rapprochement that eased years of hostilities between the two regional heavyweights, tensions persist. The rivalry, previously intensified by proxy conflicts like the war in Yemen, still shadows diplomatic efforts between the Gulf's top oil exporter and Iran.

Araqchi's visit centred on bilateral issues and efforts to negotiate ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza, with plans to continue diplomatic discussions in Qatar.

The region remains on edge after Iran's recent missile strike, a retaliation for Israel’s escalating operations against Hizbollah in Lebanon, running parallel to the Gaza conflict. Tehran has warned Gulf Arab states against allowing military operations from their territory, threatening retaliation against Israeli or U.S. interests, particularly oil facilities. Amid rising tensions, oil prices have surged, highlighting growing doubts about the Biden administration's ability to manage the escalating conflict through diplomacy—despite its continued rhetoric emphasising dialogue and restraint.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇺🇳 🇸🇻 UN condemns El Salvador’s violent crackdown on environmental activists: Five environmental activists in El Salvador, instrumental in achieving a landmark ban on metal mining, now face life imprisonment for an alleged crime dating back to the civil war. The trial of Miguel Ángel Gámez, Alejandro Laínez García, Pedro Antonio Rivas Laínez, Antonio Pacheco, and Saúl Agustín Rivas Ortega began in January 2023, amid accusations of killing an army informant in 1989. The case, widely criticised as politically motivated and lacking transparency, has drawn condemnation from UN officials, international lawyers, and human rights organisations. The activists, arrested under charges of murder and illicit association, were key figures in a 13-year campaign to protect El Salvador’s water and land from mining contamination. Critics fear the charges are part of President Nayib Bukele's efforts to reverse the 2017 mining ban. Many see the case as emblematic of the broader erosion of judicial independence under Bukele's government.