Tag: conflict

UN warns of mass exodus from Sudan war catastrophe

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AFP) — The UN on Monday warned more than 800,000 people could flee fighting and dire conditions in Sudan, where explosions again shook the capital in violation of the latest truce extension agreed by warring generals. The chaos and bloodshed, now in their third week, have already sparked an exodus of tens of thousands of Sudanese to neighboring countries including Egypt, Chad and Central African Republic. But the United Nations’ refugee agency, UNHCR, […]

Russian freight train derailed by ‘explosive device’

  MOSCOW, May 1, 2023 (AFP) – A Russian freight train derailed Monday in the western region of Bryansk bordering Ukraine after an “explosive device” detonated on the tracks but there were no casualties, the local governor said. On the same day, officials said power lines had been blown up in northern Russia, which the FSB security service called an “act of sabotage.” The apparent attacks came a day after a Ukrainian strike killed four […]

UN says Sudan near ‘breaking point’ as battles flare despite truce

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Monday 5/1/2023 Gun battles and explosions again rocked Sudan’s capital Monday despite the latest truce formally agreed between the warring parties as the United Nations warned the humanitarian crisis had brought the country near its “breaking point”. The chaos and bloodshed, now in their third week, have sparked a mass exodus of tens of thousands of Sudanese to neighbouring countries including Egypt, Chad and Central African Republic. More than 500 […]

UN sending envoy over ‘unprecedented’ Sudan war fallout

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AFP) — The top United Nations humanitarian official is heading to the Sudan region due to the “rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis” in the conflict-racked country, the UN chief said. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ announcement Sunday came shortly after rival Sudanese forces announced the extension of a truce they have largely violated, as warplanes roared overhead and fighting continued in the capital Khartoum. The fighting pits the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against […]

Crimea fuel depot on fire, Russian-held towns shelled in Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine, April 29, 2023 (AFP) – A huge fire erupted in Moscow-annexed Crimea after a suspected drone attack hit an oil depot on Saturday, as fighting intensified on the southern Ukrainian front and shelling deprived Russian border villages of power. The attacks came one day after Kyiv said preparations for a long-awaited counteroffensive were nearly complete, having vowed to expel Russian forces from territory they seized in the east and south following their 2022 […]

Russian occupied Ukrainian city under ‘intense’ fire

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Saturday 4/29/2023 Russian occupational authorities in southern Ukraine said Saturday that Ukrainian forces were subjecting the city of Novaya Kakhovka to “intense artillery fire” that had cut off electricity. The shelling came the same day that authorities in Russian-annexed Crimea reported a drone attack on a fuel depot and as Kyiv prepares for a widely expected counter-offensive against Moscow’s forces. Novaya Kakhovka is in the part of the southern Kherson […]

Russian strikes kill 12 in Ukraine

by Sergey Volskiy Agence France-Presse UMAN, Ukraine (AFP) — Russian strikes battered cities across Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 12 people in a barrage of missiles and drones that hit as Kyiv prepares an expected counteroffensive. The deadly attack included a strike on a residential building and came days after the leaders of Ukraine and China spoke by phone, with Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly advocating peace negotiations. “Missile strikes killing innocent Ukrainians in […]

Russian strikes hit several Ukrainian cities overnight

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Russian missile strikes targeted several Ukrainian cities overnight including the capital Kyiv, officials said Friday. At least five people were killed in strikes that hit the central cities of Dnipro and Uman. While Russia regularly bombed Ukrainian cities and infrastructure last winter, the massive strikes had tailed off in recent months. Kyiv had not been targeted by missiles in more than 50 days. Most fighting is now taking place in the […]

Beijing-led talks on Ukraine a ‘trap’ for the West: analysts

by Fabien Zamora China and Ukraine’s leaders speaking this week raises the unflattering prospect of Kyiv and the West having to reject a Chinese proposal to end the Ukraine war, analysts say. The one-hour conversation between Xi Jinping and Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday was the first since Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbour more than a year ago. Xi, who has refused to condemn President Vladimir Putin’s invasion and maintained cordial ties with Moscow, advocated peace […]

Can China bring peace to Ukraine?

Beijing, China | AFP | Thursday 4/27/2023 by Jing Xuan TENG From Ukraine to the Middle East, Beijing is positioning itself as a mediator with a leading role in solving the world’s crises. Xi Jinping’s phone conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday was the Chinese and Ukrainian presidents’ first contact since Beijing’s strategic ally Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. AFP answers some key questions about China’s diplomatic ambitions and its plans for Ukraine: – What […]

China’s Xi holds call with Ukraine’s Zelensky

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky by phone on Wednesday, the first known call between the two leaders since the start of Russia’s invasion. The nearly one-hour discussion, which reportedly included Xi advocating for peace negotiations, was met by Russian accusations that Ukraine was undermining efforts to end the fighting. Beijing says it is neutral in the Ukraine conflict and Xi has never condemned the Russian invasion, but the Chinese […]

Ukraine has received 1,550 armoured vehicles, 230 tanks: NATO chief

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Thursday 4/27/2023 NATO allies and partners have provided Ukraine with 1,550 armoured vehicles and 230 tanks to form units and help it retake territory from Russian forces, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday. The deliveries, since the start of the war in February last year, represent “more than 98 percent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine”, Stoltenberg told a news conference. “In total we have trained and equipped more […]