International
The Sudanese government accuses the paramilitaries of killing more than 430 civilians in the south-central part of the country
The Government of Sudan accused on Tuesday the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (FAR) of murdering 433 civilians, including several babies, in attacks perpetrated “in recent days” in villages in the state of the White Nile, in the south-central part of the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced, in a statement, that this “brutal massacre is the worst” committed by the FAR against civilians since the beginning of the war in the country, in April 2023, after other “criminal massacres” in other regions, including the Zamzam displaced camp, in North Darfur (west).
“The terrorist militia has committed in recent days a horrible massacre in the villages of the Al Gitaina region, in the state of the White Nile. Its (fatal) victims are so far 433 people, including babies,” says the note.
However, he took the opportunity to implicitly accuse the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and African countries, such as Kenya, of “complicity”, as well as to warn against the intention of the FAR and other opposition groups to sign a document for the creation of a parallel government in the regions controlled by the paramilitaries.
“This atrocious massacre confirms that the war of the militia (of the FAR) is directed against the entire people of Sudan (…) and makes it clear that every person who participates in or supports the militia or its political document, supervised by its regional sponsor (…) is complicit in its crimes and atrocities against the Sudanese people,” the statement said.
For his part, the Sudanese Minister of Information, Jaled al Eayser, demanded that the international community classify the FAR as a “terrorist organization” for “the crimes committed by these mercenaries supported by foreigners.”
Both the Army and the FAR have been accused of “war crimes,” but several local and international NGOs have accused paramilitaries in recent weeks of killing hundreds of civilians during their withdrawal from villages in the east and south of Sudan in the face of the advance of government troops in those regions.
The FARs were also accused of murdering dozens of civilians in their attempts to control Al Fasher, capital of North Darfur, even in refugee camps, such as Zamzam, which is home to more than half a million people displaced by the war.
The war in Sudan has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and forced some 12 million people to leave their homes, more than 3 million of them to other nations, which has made the country the scene of the worst displaced crisis on the planet, according to the United Nations.
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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