A UN committee warned that between 10 and 15 thousand people have been killed since April in one city in the Darfur region, western Sudan, accusing "the Rapid Support Forces and its allied militias of committing crimes against humanity."
According to the Armed Conflict Locations and Events Data Project (ACLED), a non-governmental organization based on its findings from the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the battles raging in Sudan since April 15, 2023 between the army led by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces. Led by Lieutenant General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, more than 13,000 people were killed.
However, a committee of experts charged by the UN Security Council with the task of monitoring the implementation of sanctions imposed on Sudan said in a report that “according to intelligence sources, between 10,000 and 15,000 people were killed in El Geneina,” the capital of West Darfur state, which fell in June to the Rapid Support Forces.
The report, which was sent by the Committee of Experts to members of the Security Council but has not yet been published, does not include a comprehensive tally of the victims of the ongoing war in Sudan between the two generals disputing for power.
He speaks in detail about the types of "ethnic" violence that took place in El Geneina, noting that "the attacks were planned, coordinated, and carried out by the Rapid Support Forces and Arab militias allied with them."
He stated that these forces “deliberately targeted civilian neighborhoods, camps for displaced people, schools, mosques, and hospitals, and also looted homes and sites of international non-governmental organizations and United Nations organizations,” adding: “The Rapid Support Forces and their allied militias also deliberately targeted the African Masalit ethnic group, which constitutes the majority in El Geneina City.
The report noted in particular that “the Rapid Support Forces placed snipers on main roads to target civilians indiscriminately, including women, pregnant women and young women,” stressing that “in general, in West Darfur, the Rapid Support Forces and their allies systematically committed violations of international humanitarian law.” .
The report stated that “among these violations are launching attacks against civilians and committing crimes of torture, rape, mass arrests, forced displacement, and acts of looting,” stressing that “some of these violations could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.”
Inauguration of Ram Mandir in place of Babri Masjid, Condemned by Pakistan
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the growing wave of 'Hindutva' ideology in India is a serious threat to religious harmony and regional peace.
Pakistan has condemned the construction of a Ram temple on the site of the demolished Babri Masjid in the Indian city of Ayodhya .
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan has said in its statement released on Monday that the centuries-old Babri Masjid was demolished by a mob of extremists on December 6, 1992. It is a pity that the Supreme Court of India not only condemned this heinous act. acquitted the criminals responsible for the but also allowed the construction of a temple on the site of the demolished mosque.
The situation that has been going on for the last 31 years has led to the inauguration of the Ram temple today (April 15), which indicates the growing majoritarianism in India. This situation is an important aspect of the ongoing efforts to marginalize Muslims living in India socially, economically and politically.
According to Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 'The temple built on the site of the demolished mosque will remain a blot on the face of democracy in the future. Notably, a growing list of mosques, including the Gyan Vapi Masjid in Varanasi and the Shahi Eidgah Masjid in Mathura, are facing similar threats of desecration and destruction.'
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said that the rising wave of 'Hindutva' ideology in India is a serious threat to religious harmony and regional peace. The chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, India's two largest states, are calling the demolition of the Babri Masjid or the opening of the 'Ram Mandir' as the first step towards occupying parts of Pakistan.
The international community should take note of the growing Islamophobia, hate speech and hate crimes in India. The United Nations and other relevant international organizations should play their role in protecting Islamic heritage sites in India from extremist groups and ensuring the protection of religious and cultural rights of minorities in India.
"Pakistan urges the Indian government to ensure the safety and security of Muslims and religious minorities, including their holy places," the Foreign Ministry statement added.
Inauguration of Ram Mandir by Indian Prime Minister Modi
Dressed in a traditional golden dress, Modi today unveiled a black stone statue of the Hindu god Rama in the middle of the 50-meter (160-foot) long temple. The statue is built on the site of a centuries-old mosque which was demolished in 1992 at the instigation of his party's extremists.
On the occasion of the inauguration of the temple, thousands of Hindus on the streets outside it waved flags and chanted religious slogans. On this occasion, Sankh and Dhol were also played. Military helicopters showered flower petals from the sky.
A few members of Ayodhya's Muslim community were also seen on the streets on the occasion, while opposition leaders did not attend the inauguration ceremony of the temple.
In 1992, Hindu extremists demolished a 16th-century mosque in the city of Ayodhya in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, saying it was built over an ancient temple where Lord Rama was born seven thousand years ago. had taken
Role of Indian Supreme Court
The conflict strained relations between Muslims and Hindus for decades, with over 2,000 people killed in Muslim-majority riots that erupted after the mosque's demolition.
In a controversial ruling in 2019, India's Supreme Court ordered the Babri Masjid site to be handed over to Hindus and land allotted elsewhere in the city to build a replacement mosque.
The court had also said that the demolition of the Babri Masjid was illegal. After the court verdict, the construction of the temple at a cost of about 180 million dollars was immediately started, the ground floor of which will be inaugurated by the Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22.
Meanwhile, Muslim groups are facing difficulties in raising funds for the construction of a mosque in a remote area about 25 km from the Ram temple built on the site of the Babri Masjid.
IICF president Zafar Ahmed Farooqui told Reuters: 'We have not approached anyone for funds or launched any public movement.'
In contrast, Prime Minister Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliated Hindu groups began collecting donations for the Ram temple more than three decades ago, and four million people in India donate to it. More than 30 billion rupees have been deposited from the fund.
Modi's inauguration of the temple will once again project him as the protector of Hinduism in what appears to be a well-thought-out plan ahead of the general elections due in April.
The inauguration of the Ram temple is expected to boost the Hindu nationalist BJP's chances of victory in next year's general elections, as it fulfills one of its key campaign promises.
Nastula Haber, political editor of The Hindu newspaper, told AFP that the inauguration would show the ruling party's "religious nationalism".
According to him: 'The timing of the opening has to do with the fact that the BJP is going to the polls.'
background
Hindus believe that Lord Rama was born seven thousand years ago at the same place in Ayodhya where Babur, a Muslim emperor of the 16th century, demolished a temple and built a mosque, known as Babri Masjid.
The BJP played an important role in the public campaign, which eventually led to the demolition of the mosque.
Senior party leader Lal Kishan Advani had taken out a nationwide rally for the campaign aimed at demolishing the Babri Masjid. As a result of the BJP's campaigns, several religious riots broke out.
Within two months a significant decline in air travel in Israel due to the Gaza War
The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip caused a decline in air traffic to and from Israel by an average of 75% on an annual basis, during the months of November and December 2023, while passenger traffic had increased by 38.5% in the first 9 months of 2023, to reach 19.1 million passengers.
Air travel to and from Israel declined in the last two months of 2023 in light of the war that the occupation has been waging in the Gaza Strip since last October 7.
According to the Israeli Airports Authority, during last November and December, incoming and outgoing traffic recorded an average decline of 75% on an annual basis due to the war on Gaza.
The Airports Authority stated in a report yesterday, Sunday, that the number of passengers increased by 19.2% in the whole of 2023, compared to 2022.
She indicated that traffic to and from Israel declined by 78% last November on an annual basis, and an annual decline of 71% in December.
In this context, the Airports Authority explained that the number of passengers via the Israeli national airline “El Al” increased by 32.5% to 5.5 million passengers in 2023, with a share of 26.3% of the total passengers.
Throughout the first nine months of 2023, passenger traffic in Israel rose by 38.5% year-on-year, reaching 19.1 million passengers.
With almost all foreign airlines halting their flights to and from Israel as a result of the war, companies such as Lufthansa have resumed their flights, while other companies have rescheduled their flights during the coming period.