Sudan Nashra: Dozens die of hunger in Fasher under RSF siege | PM Kamel Idris makes 1st foreign visit to Cairo for high-level talks | Military strikes escalate in Kordofan, Darfur | Sudan’s TV says UAE cargo plane with mercenaries destroyed in Nyala

Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, is witnessing an unprecedented surge in hunger-related deaths as it edges toward a famine under a tightened siege by the Rapid Support Forces.

Over 58 people died from malnutrition in just one week, a Darfur Health Ministry official told Mada Masr.

Acute food shortages and soaring prices for what little remains in the markets have pushed residents to consume animal fodder, residents told Mada Masr. Many are now surviving on a single meal a day as the RSF continues to block road access into Fasher and has yet to agree to any pause in fighting proposed by the United Nations to allow humanitarian aid in.

In Cairo, Prime Minister Kamel Idris made his first foreign visit since taking office, holding talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Prime Minister Mostafa Madbuly on Thursday. Discussions covered investments in Sudan's reconstruction and other regional issues, notably the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Both sides rejected Ethiopia’s unilateral actions in a joint statement.

Meanwhile, the US Congress has initiated steps that could see the RSF designated as a foreign terrorist organization. Lawmakers gave the State Department, Treasury Department and Attorney General 90 days starting on August 1 to assess whether the group meets the criteria.

On the military front, the Sudanese Air Force ramped up its operations this week. It carried out its first air raid over Fasher in months, along with a wave of strikes in Kordofan and Nyala, South Darfur, where Sudan’s state TV announced that the military destroyed an Emirati cargo plane carrying 40 Colombian mercenaries on Wednesday.

The strike came on the same day Abu Dhabi barred all Sudanese airlines from landing in its airports, following renewed accusations from Khartoum that the Gulf state is funding Colombian and other foreign mercenaries to join the RSF’s ranks.

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Over 58 die of malnutrition in Fasher under RSF siege

The hunger crisis in Fasher, capital of North Darfur, has reached a breaking point, with dozens killed from malnutrition this week alone amid a tightening siege imposed by the Rapid Support Forces.

The city is witnessing an unprecedented surge in hunger-related deaths due to acute food shortages and the absence of grains and other essential supplies, a Darfur Health Ministry official told Mada Masr.

Over 58 people died this week from malnutrition as RSF forces continue to block the entry of humanitarian and commercial shipments into the city, the official said.

With food stocks collapsing, residents in the city told Mada Masr that many are now surviving on just one meal per day. Some have resorted to eating livestock fodder known locally as ambaz, which is also running out. Bakeries have shuttered, electricity has been cut and communications have been severed, pushing the besieged city deeper into crisis.

Food prices have soared across North Darfur amid the widespread shortages, Mohamed Khamis Doda, spokesperson for the Zamzam displacement camp, told Mada Masr.

A sack of millet now sells for 7.2 million Sudanese pounds (US$3,000), while sorghum costs 6.57 million pounds (around $2,740). Cooking oil costs around 70,000 pounds (around $29) per bottle, and a pound of salt sells for between 10,000 and 15,000 pounds ($4-$6.25).

Doda described the blockade as a deliberate tactic to starve the city, condemning the silence of international, regional and Sudanese actors in the face of the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis.

The RSF has maintained a siege on Fasher since May 2024, launching repeated attacks that have displaced large numbers of civilians and further eroded already dire living and health conditions.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) warned that the population of Fasher is at risk of starvation, with humanitarian needs growing as aid convoys remain blocked from reaching the besieged city. With no deliveries by road for over a year, the WFP said residents are now relying entirely on shrinking food reserves.

“People’s coping mechanisms have been completely exhausted by over two years of war,” WFP Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Eric Perdison warned. “Without immediate and sustained access, lives will be lost.”

The WFP noted that as of August 1, it had obtained clearances from Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission to send an aid convoy to Fasher, but the RSF has yet to support a pause in the fighting that would allow it to get through.

The paramilitary group previously rejected a one-week humanitarian ceasefire proposed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in June.

On Wednesday, Transitional Sovereignty Council Chair and military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan vowed that his forces would reach Fasher. The following day, Darfur Governor and leader of Sudan Liberation Movement Minni Arko Minnawi, addressing thousands of troops in a remote location, promised that the city’s “exceptional circumstances” would soon end.

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State TV says UAE cargo plane carrying Colombian mercenaries destroyed in Nyala

Sudan’s state television announced that the Sudanese Armed Forces destroyed a cargo plane belonging to the United Arab Emirates as it landed at Nyala International Airport in South Darfur on Wednesday, stating it was carrying military supplies and Colombian mercenaries to support the RSF.

A military source told Mada Masr that the aircraft was transporting Emirati coordination officers and around 40 Colombian mercenaries specialized in operating strategic drones and jamming equipment. Their deployment, the source said, was part of a plan to establish an advanced air operations base in RSF-controlled Nyala — the group’s largest operational and logistics hub in Sudan.

According to the source, Sudanese intelligence and surveillance units tracked the plane from its departure in southern UAE airspace to its entry into Sudan. The plane was ultimately destroyed in a targeted airstrike upon landing, the source said.

Sudan’s TV reported that the aircraft had departed from a “Gulf base” as part of a wider military arrangement backed by regional actors involved in what it described as a project to fuel mercenary operations and fragment Sudan. All 40 mercenaries aboard the plane were killed, the broadcaster said.

Neither the military nor the RSF has issued a statement on the incident, while an Emirati official told AFP the cargo plane did not belong to the UAE, dismissing the report as “baseless.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government was working to verify how many of its nationals died in the strike.

A few days earlier, on August 3, the military-allied Joint Force of the Armed Struggle Movements stated that it had identified over 80 Colombian mercenaries fighting alongside the RSF in an August 2 attack on Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which the force said it repelled. According to the statement, the mercenaries were tasked with operating drones and coordinating artillery fire.

Backed logistically by the UAE, the RSF has been developing a military airbase and strategic cargo facilities at the Nyala airport since early this year, a senior source from the military’s General Staff told Mada Masr in February.

Over the two days following the plane’s destruction, the military conducted a series of airstrikes on Nyala. On Thursday, several RSF sites were targeted, including a recruitment camp, the military source said. Several RSF fighters were killed, and weapons and ammunition depots destroyed, according to the source.

The following day, a witness in Nyala told Mada Masr that two large explosions were heard near the Nyala airport at around midday.

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UAE bans Sudanese airlines from its airports

The United Arab Emirates has barred Sudanese airlines from landing at its airports, a new escalation in diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

The move came two days after Sudan accused the UAE of financing the deployment of mercenaries from Colombia and neighboring countries to fight alongside the RSF — allegations the UAE has dismissed as baseless.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority revealed the Emirati decision and expressed surprise at the move, which it said included preventing a Sudanese airline from taking off from Abu Dhabi International Airport without prior notice or explanation.

The authority said it is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with relevant Sudanese entities and has begun working with Sudanese airlines to rebook passengers affected by the ban on flights to and from the UAE.

A senior official at the authority told Mada Masr that the decision comes at a particularly sensitive time for Sudanese aviation, already under strain from mounting political and security challenges. The UAE’s move, the official said, further complicates international travel for Sudanese citizens.

The government had earlier announced its decision to sever diplomatic ties with the UAE and designate it a hostile state, following RSF drone attacks on Port Sudan in May that it blamed on the Gulf country.

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US Congress moves toward possible designation of RSF as terrorist organization

The US Congress may classify the Rapid Support Forces as a foreign terrorist organization within 90 days, following a proposal introduced by Senator Jim Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The proposal, submitted as an amendment to this year’s Defense Authorization Act, directs the State and Treasury departments and the Attorney General to assess whether the RSF meets the criteria for such a designation.

According to the US Congress website, the evaluation must be completed within 90 days starting August 1. The review also includes the March 23 Movement, an armed group operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The US Secretary of State is required to submit a classified report on the findings to the relevant congressional committees.

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Military airstrikes return to Fasher, target RSF positions across Kordofan

The military carried out a series of airstrikes this week against RSF positions in Darfur and Kordofan.

In Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, military aircraft were active over the city on Friday for the first time in over five months, a source in the military-allied joint force told Mada Masr. The strikes disabled an advanced air defense system and hit RSF troops on the outskirts of the city.

Other targets in Um Kadada, east of Fasher, were also struck, the source said, describing Friday’s attacks as the most extensive in Darfur in recent months.

The aim, according to the source, is likely to reduce RSF air defense capabilities in preparation for further operations, including the possible airdrop of food aid into the besieged city.

In Kordofan, a wave of airstrikes targeted RSF positions throughout the week, resulting in casualties and the destruction of several RSF vehicles, according to two field sources.

On Tuesday, airstrikes hit several RSF gatherings west of Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, one source said. Additional raids targeted the Um Kiredam area, west of Bara, where several RSF vehicles were burned.

Another field source said that RSF positions in Mazroub, North Kordofan, were bombed on Wednesday, just hours after hundreds of mercenaries from South Sudan arrived in the area to support the RSF.

Later that day, strikes were carried out in the town of Khawi, followed by air raids on RSF gatherings in Abu Zabad in West Kordofan on Thursday, which inflicted heavy losses, the source said.

Meanwhile, military forces advanced into the Ad al-Sidr area in the Gabra al-Sheikh locality as part of ongoing operations to seize control of the Saderat Road, a critical supply route linking Omdurman and Bara, the source said.

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Govt sources: Ministerial disputes prompt suspension to rehabilitation work in Khartoum

Disputes among ministries have led Ibrahim Gaber — member of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and head of the committee tasked with preparing conditions for the return of citizens to Khartoum State — to order the immediate and comprehensive suspension of all rehabilitation and maintenance work on government facilities in the capital, effective August 3.

A former administrative official in Khartoum told Mada Masr that the decision, which was issued without an official explanation, came as a direct result of escalating disagreements among ministries over reconstruction priorities, resource allocation and the designation of implementing bodies.

The suspension came just as the Roads, Bridges, and Drainage Corporation announced the launch of new maintenance work on five major bridges in the capital, raising concerns over how the order might impact ongoing infrastructure projects.

However, a source in the Finance Ministry denied that the directive would affect any public infrastructure work, saying that it applies only to ministerial institutions.

To mitigate the impact of the suspension, the committee overseeing Khartoum’s return plan proposed relocating some government functions to facilities belonging to the Higher Academy for Strategic and Security Studies, affiliated with the General Intelligence Service and located in southern Khartoum, a source in the committee told Mada Masr. The proposal is being considered as a temporary workaround to provide alternative office space for ministries affected by the halt.

The tensions stem primarily from disputes between the finance and transport ministries over oversight and implementation of maintenance efforts. While engineers at the Transport Ministry voiced frustration over the timing, at the height of maintenance work, officials at the Finance Ministry see it as an opportunity to reassess the capital’s infrastructure strategy amid Sudan’s ongoing security and economic challenges, a Finance Ministry source told Mada Masr.

A source in Khartoum State’s government attributed the crisis to a clash of administrative directives. According to the source, the decree by Transitional Sovereignty Council head and military Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to establish the committee shifted the authority over government operations back to the TSC via Gaber’s leadership.

The source added that the committee now represents the highest authority mandated by the TSC head, meaning ministries are obliged to comply with its decisions, a view echoed by an administrative official in the committee who spoke to Mada Masr.

The full implications of the suspension remain to be seen in the coming days, particularly regarding the status of projects already underway and the government’s capacity to secure effective alternatives to maintain essential public services in the capital.

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Former Bashir-era defense minister released from prison, placed under house arrest

Sudanese authorities are preparing to transfer former Defense Minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein from prison to his family home in Dongola, Northern State, where he will be placed under house arrest under close military supervision, according to Mohamed al-Hassan al-Amin, a member of the legal defense team representing officials from the former regime of ousted President Omar al-Bashir.

The move leaves Bashir as the last prominent political or military figure from his regime still held in prison.

Amin told Mada Masr that Hussein is currently receiving medical treatment in the city of Merowe in northern Sudan, to which he was transferred after being hospitalized in Omdurman at the Military Medical Corps Hospital.

In September 2024, military authorities transferred Bashir, Hussein, former Vice President Bakry Hassan Saleh and Youssef Abdel Fattah, a member of the leadership council behind Bashir’s 1989 coup, to Merowe.

Saleh was later released for health reasons and placed under house arrest under the supervision of military intelligence, a senior military source told Mada Masr.

Hussein held several senior positions during Bashir’s rule, including defense minister, interior minister, and governor of Khartoum State. A close confidant of Bashir throughout his rule, Hussein was regarded as a central figure in the political and security apparatus of the Sudanese state for decades.

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PM Kamel Idris makes 1st foreign visit to Cairo for high-level talks

Prime Minister Kamel Idris held high-level talks in Cairo on Thursday at the invitation of his Egyptian counterpart, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbuly, marking his first foreign visit since taking office in May.

During the trip, Idris also met with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who received him alongside Madbuly and delegations from both sides.

Both Sisi and Madbuly reiterated Egypt’s full support for the Sudanese government and its efforts to preserve Sudan’s national institutions, condemning any threat to Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity.

The visit comes in the wake of the announcement of a parallel government in western Sudan by the RSF-led Tasis coalition in late July — a move that directly challenges the transitional government led by Idris and appointed by the Transitional Sovereignty Council.

Talks between the two sides explored potential areas of cooperation in Sudan’s reconstruction, with Sisi reaffirming Egypt’s backing for initiatives aimed at restoring stability and alleviating the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Talks between the two prime ministers included boosting investment ties, with both governments exploring opportunities for Egyptian companies to invest in strategically important sectors in Sudan, especially in anticipation of reconstruction efforts, according to a joint statement.

Ministers from both countries also held bilateral meetings to discuss detailed proposals and joint programs between corresponding ministries.

Regional security was also on the agenda, with both countries stressing the importance of ongoing coordination, particularly regarding developments in the Red Sea region.

They also reiterated their opposition to Ethiopia’s unilateral actions on the Blue Nile, which they said contravene principles of international law.

The prime ministers reiterated their commitment to coordination through the Permanent Joint Technical Commission for Nile Waters — the body mandated by the Sudan-Egypt 1959 agreement to shape unified policies on Nile-related matters. Both parties underscored the need to allow the commission’s consultative framework the space to help resolve disputes.

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Egyptian authorities arrest commander of Sudanese military-aligned Islamist brigade

Egyptian authorities detained Mesbah Abu Zeid, commander of Sudan’s Baraa Ibn Malik Brigade, which has been fighting alongside the military since the onset of the war.

According to one of his relatives, Abu Zeid was arrested at his family’s residence in Cairo and taken into custody on Monday night without explanation or charges.

A senior official in the Transitional Sovereignty Council has been in contact with several Egyptian authorities and influential figures in Cairo to inquire about the circumstances of the arrest and push for Abu Zeid’s release, urging a swift resolution to the matter, a source in the TSC told Mada Masr.

The family member said that the arrest is not related to any political activity, noting that Abu Zeid entered Egypt on an official visa, which indicates, they argued, that authorities were aware of his identity and role as a leader of Islamist youth fighters aligned with the military.

According to the TSC source, the arrest is linked to Abu Zeid’s participation in an unauthorized religious gathering, an Islamic inshad session, which contravenes Egypt’s residency regulations that prohibit public assemblies and political or union-related activities without prior approval. As such, his actions were considered in breach of Egypt’s laws, the source said.

Abu Zeid is considered one of the most prominent commanders of irregular forces aligned with the military.

The Baraa Ibn Malik Brigade is estimated to number around 20,000 fighters primarily positioned in North Kordofan and western Khartoum, a military source told Mada Masr. The brigade is considered part of the military’s reserve forces and operates under its command structure, rather than as an independent entity, the source added.