Region

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, announced a $1.6 billion funding appeal on Tuesday to help counter "chronic" budget shortfalls.

It is the latest in a series of warnings from UNRWA on possible deep cuts if the international community fails to provide more support.

"Chronic agency budget shortfalls threaten the livelihoods and well-being of the Palestine refugees that UNRWA serves and pose a serious threat to the agency's ability to maintain services," agency head Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.

UNRWA's funding suffered a blow in 2018 when former US president Donald Trump cut support to the agency.

His administration branded UNRWA as “irredeemably flawed”, siding with Israeli criticisms of the agency founded in 1949, a year after Israel’s creation.

President Joe Biden’s administration has restored some support, but UNRWA has said it is still struggling.

In November, it warned it was facing an “existential threat” over budget gaps.

The agency has a staff of 28,000 and provides services such as education and health care to more than five million Palestinians registered in the Palestinian territories, including occupied East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

KHARTOUM — Sudanese shuttered shops and barricaded Khartoum streets on Tuesday in a civil disobedience campaign to protest one of the bloodiest days since an October coup derailed the country's democratic transition.

Security forces on Monday killed at least seven people during anti-coup protests by thousands, bringing the total fatalities from the crackdown on anti-coup demonstrations to 71, according to medics.

Sudan's main civilian bloc, the Forces for Freedom and Change, called for two days of civil disobedience to begin on Tuesday.

"Shop closed for mourning," said a series of small signs posted on the closed outlets at the sprawling Sajane construction supplies market in Khartoum. One of the merchants, Othman El Sherif, was among those shot dead on Monday.

In several other parts of Khartoum, too, many pharmacies and other shops were shuttered, according to an AFP correspondent.

Sudan's University for Science and Technology suspended all activities as part of the civil disobedience, according to an official statement.

As they do regularly, police on Tuesday fired tear gas at dozens of protesters setting up roadbloacks, this time on the streets of east Khartoum, according to an AFP correspondent.

After Monday's deaths the United Nations special representative Volker Perthes condemned the use of live ammunition and the US embassy criticised "violent tactics of Sudanese security forces", the latest such appeals by world powers, which have not curbed a rising death toll.

Washington's Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee and special envoy for the Horn of Africa, David Satterfield, were expected in Khartoum where they would "reiterate our call for security forces to end violence and respect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly", spokesman Ned Price said.

On Monday, Sudan’s police said they used “the least force” to counter the protests, in which about 50 police personnel were wounded in confrontations.

Authorities have repeatedly denied using live ammunition against demonstrators, and insist scores of security personnel have been wounded during protests which have occurred regularly since the October 25 coup.

A police general was stabbed to death last week.

On Tuesday, the “Friends of Sudan” group calling for the restoration of the country’s transitional government held talks in Saudi Arabia over the crisis.

“Deep concern about yesterday’s violence. International support and leverage is needed. Support for political process needs to go along with active support to stop violence,” the UN’s Perthes said on Twitter, after attending the meeting virtually.

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Israeli forces on Tuesday backed down from attempts to evict Palestinians from their home in a Jerusalem flashpoint district, the family said after they threatened self-immolation, triggering a stand-off.

The Salhiya family has been facing the threat of eviction from their home in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem since 2017, when the land where their home sits was allocated for school construction.

Anger in Sheikh Jarrah where families battled eviction orders fuelled an 11-day war between Israel and armed Palestinian factions in Gaza last year.

When forces arrived to execute the eviction order on Monday, Salhiya family members went up to the building’s roof with gas canisters, threatening to use them on themselves if they were forced out of their home.

An hours-long standoff ensued.

By Tuesday, forces sent for the eviction had already been removed but children of the Salhiya family remained on the roof with the gas canisters, their father Mahmud told AFP.

According to him, no agreement or understandings had been reached, but lawyers for the family filed a petition to the supreme court on Tuesday to cancel the eviction order.

In a Tuesday statement to AFP, the municipality of Jerusalem stressed the Salhiya family had numerous opportunities to move out of their home, deemed illegal and the city had every intention of taking the plot under a district court decision.

Hundreds of Palestinians are facing evictions from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah and other occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhoods. Circumstances surrounding the eviction threats vary.

In some cases Jewish Israelis have mounted legal challenges to claim the plots they say were illegally taken during the war that coincided with Israel’s founding in 1948.

Palestinians say their homes were legally purchased from Jordanian authorities who controlled East Jerusalem between 1948 and 1967.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem in the 1967 June War and later annexed it, in a move not recognised by the international community.

More than 200,000 Jewish settlers have since moved into the area, fuelling tensions with Palestinians, who claim occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

BAGHDAD — As Iraq’s Shiite leaders jostle to secure a majority in the newly-elected parliament, Sunni and Kurdish minorities have been caught up in a spate of warning grenade attacks, analysts say.

In recent days, unknown attackers have hurled grenades at Kurdish and Sunni targets including political party offices and a lawmaker’s home — groups that could help Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr win the critical parliamentary majority needed to make his choice of prime minister.

“It is a way of punishing the forces that have allied with Moqtada Sadr to form a parliamentary majority,” said political scientist Ihsan Al Shammari.

“Their message is political,” he added, calling the attacks “part of the mode of political pressure” adopted by some groups.

In multiconfessional and multiethnic Iraq, the formation of governments has involved complex negotiations since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.

Horse trading for power 

No single party holds an outright majority, so the next leader will be voted in by whichever coalition can negotiate allies to become the biggest bloc — which then elects Iraq’s president, who then appoints a prime minister.

In previous parliaments, parties from Iraq’s Shiite majority have struck compromise deals to work together and form a government, with an unofficial system whereby the prime minister is Shiite, the president is a Kurd and the speaker of parliament is Sunni.

But Sadr, who once led an anti-US militia and who opposes all foreign interference, has repeatedly said the next prime minister will be chosen by his movement.

So rather than strike an alliance with the powerful Shiite Coordination Framework — which includes the pro-Iran Fateh alliance, the political arm of the former paramilitary Hashed Al Shaabi — Sadr has forged a new coalition.

That includes two Sunni parties, Taqadum and Azm, as well as the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

It has infuriated the Coordination Framework — who insist their grouping is bigger.

In recent days, grenades have been lobbed at the home of a Taqadum lawmaker, as well as at the party offices of Azm, Taqadum and the KDP in Baghdad.

On Sunday, flashbang stun grenades were hurled into the branches of two Kurdish banks in the capital Baghdad — wounding two people.

The heads of both banks are said to be close to political leaders in Iraq’s autonomous northern Kurdistan region.

There has already been unrest following the election, with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi escaping unhurt when an explosive-packed drone hit his residence in November during what his office called an “assassination attempt”.

No group has claimed the attack.

While the culprits of the recent grenade blasts have also not been identified, a security source charged that the attacks “convey the messages of the parties that lost in the elections”.

The purpose, the security source claimed, is to “disrupt the formation of the government” —- implicitly pointing to the Coordination Framework, and in particular the Fateh alliance.

‘They threaten violence’ 

Fateh lost much of its political capital in the October 10 polls, having secured only 17 seats, compared to the 48 it had before.

It alleged the vote was rigged, but Iraq’s top court rejected a complaint of electoral irregularities filed by Hashed.

Hashed, which maintains an arsenal of weapons, fighters and supporters, has sought a variety of ways to make itself heard outside parliament, including demonstrations and sit-ins.

“Rather than accepting defeat at the polls, they threaten violence,” said Lahib Higel, of the International Crisis Group.

Sadr has considered striking deals with certain members of the Coordination Framework, such as Fateh chief Hadi Al Ameri, at the expense of other figures in the bloc, such as former prime minister Nuri Al Maliki, Higel said.

But such an arrangement “is not Iran’s preference” Higel argued, adding that Tehran “would rather see a consensus that includes all Shiite parties”.

However, she said Iran could settle for a deal where Shiite parties held sway.

“It is possible that they [Iran] would accept a scenario where not everyone is represented in the next government, as long as there is a sufficient amount of Shiite parties, including some Hashed factions,” she said.

KHARTOUM — Security forces shot and killed three protesters on Monday during rallies against last year's military coup, medics said, ahead of a visit by US diplomats seeking to revive a transition to civilian rule.

The protesters "were killed by live bullets" by "militias of the putschist military council", anti-coup medics said on the Facebook page of Khartoum state's health ministry.

The killings bring to 67 the death toll of protesters killed since the October 25 coup led by General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan.

The military takeover triggered wide international condemnation and derailed a fragile transition to civilian rule following the April 2019 ouster of longtime president Omar Al Bashir.

The latest rallies, in Khartoum and Wad Madani to the south, came as US envoy to the Horn of Africa David Satterfield and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee are expected in the capital this week.

Security officers who deployed in large numbers fired volleys of tear gas at protesters heading toward the presidential palace, an AFP correspondent said.

Several people were seen suffering breathing difficulties and others bleeding due to wounds by tear gas canisters, the correspondent said.

Sawsan Salah, from the capital's twin city of Omdurman, said protesters burnt car tyres and carried photos of people killed during other demonstrations since the October 25 coup.

In Wad Madani, "around 2,000 people took to the streets as they called for civilian rule", said Emad Mohammed, a witness there.

Thousands of protesters demanded that the military return to their barracks and chanted in favour of civilian rule in North Khartoum, witnesses said.

Protesters, sometimes numbering in the tens of thousands,  have regularly taken to the streets despite a deadly security clampdown and periodic cuts to communications since the coup.

On Thursday, Sudanese authorities said protesters stabbed to death a police general, the first fatality among security forces.

Authorities have repeatedly denied using live ammunition in confronting demonstrators and insist scores of security personnel have been wounded during protests that have often “deviated from peacefulness”.

Diplomatic push 

Starting on Monday in Riyadh, Satterfield and Phee were to meet the Friends of Sudan, a group calling for the restoration of the country’s transitional government.

The meeting aims to “marshal international support” for the UN mission to “facilitate a renewed civilian-led transition to democracy” in Sudan, the US State Department said.

The diplomats then travel to Khartoum for meetings with pro-democracy activists, civic groups, military and political figures.

“Their message will be clear: The United States is committed to freedom, peace and justice for the Sudanese people,” the State Department said.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that a new charges d’affaire Lucy Tamlyn will head the embassy in Khartoum to serve “during this critical juncture in Sudan’s democratic transition”.

The United Nations last week said it will launch talks involving political, military and social actors to help resolve the crisis.

The mainstream civilian faction of the Forces for Freedom and Change, the leading civilian pro-democracy group, has said it would accept the UN offer for talks if revives the transition to civilian rule.

Proposed talks have been welcomed by the ruling Sovereign Council, which Burhan re-staffed following the coup with himself as chairman.

Burhan has insisted that the military takeover “was not a coup” but only meant to “rectify” the course of the post-Bashir transition.

Earlier this month, Sudan’s civilian prime minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned saying the country was now at a “dangerous crossroads threatening its very survival”.

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Israeli forces were in a stand-off on Monday with a Palestinian man who carried a gas canister onto the roof of his home in a Jerusalem flashpoint district as his family faced eviction.

Israeli media reported that Mohammed Salhiya had threatened to set himself on fire if the eviction order from Sheikh Jarrah area of Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem was carried out.

Salhiya’s family has been facing an eviction threat since 2017, when the land where his home sits was allocated for school construction.

Forces and the Jerusalem municipality said in a joint statement delegates went to the home early Monday to carry out an eviction order after the Salhiyas ignored “countless opportunities” to vacate the land as ordered.

“We’ve been in this home since the 1950s,” said Salhiya family member Abdallah Ikermawi from the roof of the home.

“We don’t have anywhere to go,” he said in quotes provided by the Sheikh Jarrah Committee organisation, adding that the family was made up of 15 people, including children.

An 11-day Gaza war between Israel and the Palestinians erupted last year, fuelled by anger in Sheikh Jarrah where families battled eviction orders.

Forces said their “negotiators” were at the Salhiya home after several residents of the house “began to fortify themselves with a gas canister and other flammable material”.

Witnesses told AFP that confrontations between forces and locals erupted after the forces arrived but later eased.

Hundreds of Palestinians are facing evictions from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah and other occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhoods.

Circumstances surrounding the evictions threats vary.

‘Plenty of space’ 

In some cases, Israelis have mounted legal challenges to claim the land they say was illegally taken during the war that coincided with Israel’s founding in 1948.

Palestinians have rejected these claims, saying their homes were legally purchased from Jordanian authorities who controlled occupied East Jerusalem between 1948 and 1967.

Seven Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah have taken their legal challenges against their eviction threats to Israel’s supreme court. The Salhiyas are not in that group.

Jerusalem City councillor Laura Wharton, who was at the scene and due to meet the Salhiya family later Monday, criticised the municipality’s actions.

“They could have built the schools in the same plot without moving the families. There is plenty of space,” she said.

“The sad thing is this is the municipality itself doing this, it’s not some right-wing settlers.”

Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 and later occupied it, in a move not recognised by the international community.

More than 200,000 Jewish settlers have since moved into the area, fuelling tensions with Palestinians, who claim occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

KHARTOUM — Dozens of Sudanese doctors demonstrated Sunday in Khartoum to denounce attacks by security forces against medical personnel and doctors during pro-democracy rallies opposed to the October military coup.

Carrying pictures of colleagues they say have been killed in the turmoil that has gripped Sudan over the past months, the doctors rallied dressed in their white uniforms, an AFP correspondent said.

"During every protest they [security forces] fire tear gas inside the hospital where I work," Houda Ahmad, a doctor who took part in the rally, told AFP.

"They even attack us inside the intensive care unit," she said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) there have been 11 confirmed attacks on health workers and health facilities in Sudan since November.

"Most of these attacks were committed against healthcare workers in the form of physical assault, obstruction, violent searches, and related psychological threats and intimidation," a statement on Tuesday said.

The WHO "is also aware of the interception of ambulances, medical personnel and patients during their attempts to seek safety," it added.

It called for the attacks to "stop now", saying they violate international humanitarian law and restrict patients' access to healthcare, particularly during the COVID pandemic.

According to the WHO, COVID-19 is a "grave threat" for Sudan, where 94 per cent of the population has not been vaccinated.

Battling COVID 

One of the world's poorest countries, Sudan has confirmed 93,973 coronavirus infections and about 4,000 deaths.

By September 21 of last year, 64 per cent of 1,041 health workers had tested positive, the WHO said, warning that the actual number of cases was "much higher".

The October 25 coup led by military leader General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan derailed the country's transition to civilian rule, sparked international condemnation including aid cuts, and triggered mass protests.

The demonstrations have been met by a deadly crackdown that has seen 64 protesters killed, according to pro-democracy medics who say security forces have used live bullets, a charge the police have denied. A police general has also been killed.

Anti-coup demonstrators have called for new rallies to be held on Monday to denounce the military and demand civilian rule.

It comes as the United Nations seeks to organise talks involving political, military and social actors in Sudan to resolve the crisis.

UN special representative Volker Perthes announced the bid on Monday saying it was “time to end the violence and enter into a comprehensive consultative process”.

While most anti-coup players have rejected the UN push, one group said it was willing to consider it.

The mainstream faction of the Forces for Freedom and Change, the leading civilian pro-democracy group, said Sunday it would accept the offer of a dialogue if it were to lead to the end of the coup and restoration of transition to civilian rule.