Today, Saturday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called on Parliament to hold an emergency session to authorize any intervention requested by Saudi Arabia.
Cairo News Channel quoted Sisi as saying, during a graduation ceremony for new batches of the Egyptian Military Academy: “We will implement any measure to protect Saudi Arabia, and I call on Parliament to hold an emergency session to authorize this move if we are asked to do so.”
He added: “We must not forget the support that the brothers in the Gulf provided to Egypt,” adding: “We stand strongly and fully support the protection of the lands of our brothers in the Gulf.”
Al-Sisi stressed the implementation of any measure requested by Saudi Arabia to defend its security and sovereignty.
On the other hand, Al-Sisi confirmed today, Saturday, that the year 2030 will be the end of his term as head of state. “This is completely settled,” Al-Sisi said, stressing that the Egyptian constitution will not be affected.
He added that it is my duty to preserve the state and keep its flag flying high, noting that the armed forces are the basic pillar of national security and are the nation’s shield and sword.
He stressed that maintaining the armed forces is a national duty that falls on the responsibility of all Egyptians, explaining that protecting the homeland is a shared responsibility that begins with the family, which was and will remain the basic pillar in building the human being.
Al-Sisi stressed that the awareness of Egyptians has always been the strong fortress that preserved the cohesion of the state, stressing that national cohesion and unity of ranks will remain decisive factors in protecting the homeland.
30 civilians were killed and 43 others were injured, on Friday, in a drone bombing that targeted the livestock market in the city of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, according to the Sudan Constituent Alliance (Foundation), loyal to the Rapid Support Forces, which accused the Sudanese army of carrying out the attack.
Coalition spokesman, Ahmed Taqad San, said in a statement that the bombing occurred while the market was crowded with citizens, and resulted in casualties, including women and children, in addition to the destruction of shops and property, indicating that losses are continuing to be counted. The statement claimed that the march was launched from the East Owainat base, and held the Sudanese army and its supporters responsible for the attack, which it described as a “war crime.” He called for an independent and transparent investigation, and called for international action to protect civilians and hold those responsible accountable.
It was not possible to independently verify the death toll, the circumstances of the targeting of the market, or the location of the march’s launch. The statement also did not include verifiable evidence to support his accusation regarding the source of the attack and the party operating the plane, and the Sudanese army did not comment on these accusations.
The attack comes amid mounting civilian casualties as a result of both sides of the war using drones. The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, said in a briefing on August 24 that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights documented the killing of about 1,400 civilians during the first half of this year, including 1,100 who were killed by drone strikes.
In May, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, announced that at least 880 civilians had been documented killed in drone strikes between January and April. His office recorded at least 28 attacks that targeted markets, causing civilian casualties, in addition to targeting health facilities at least 12 times.
The most prominent of these incidents was the attack on El Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, on March 20, which the United Nations said killed at least 60 people, including children and health workers. The UN fact-finding mission later reported a death toll of no less than 70 people, in strikes it attributed to the army.
In July, the Associated Press reported, citing the Sudan Doctors Network, that 10 civilians were killed, including 5 women from one family, in a drone attack attributed to Rapid Support, which targeted a car west of Omdurman while its passengers were heading to a wedding.
In a more recent incident, on October 10, the agency reported that 41 people, including 8 children, were killed in a drone bombing that targeted a gathering of displaced people in the Abu Shindi area of the Blue Nile, near the Ethiopian border. The group accused Rapid Support of carrying it out, while the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs denounced the reported attack.
The UN fact-finding mission warned in September that external support and technical development for the drones had expanded the ability of both sides of the war to target areas far from the battle lines. It documented attacks that targeted hospitals, schools, markets, and displacement sites, considering that some violations may amount to war crimes.
Today (Friday), the Royal Palace in Rabat witnessed a prominent political event that reshapes the features of the executive scene in the Kingdom of Morocco. King Mohammed VI chaired the ceremony of appointing members of the new government.
This government formation, which includes 4 political parties, which coincides with the beginning of a new legislative term, reflects the official directions aimed at accelerating the pace of field work at the territorial level, and confronting pressing economic and social files in a spirit based on efficiency and public effectiveness.
This political station was marked by the assignment of the leadership of the government team to Fatima Zahraa Al-Mansouri, in a step that establishes a new phase of political management within the Moroccan public service.
The new ministers took the oath in the hands of the Moroccan king, thus announcing the official and actual launch of the exercise of their executive duties, and giving the starting signal for a renewed phase of institutional transition, which is the development path that the Moroccan street is anticipating with great interest, looking forward to seeking its positive repercussions on its daily living, and seeing the direct field impact of this new governmental dynamic in developing public services, and supporting the comprehensive development process that the Kingdom is witnessing.
The new government structure represents a strong signal towards strengthening the position of women’s competencies in strategic decision-making centers in the Kingdom. The formation recorded a remarkable presence of women, with 6 female ministers assuming vital and crucial sectors. At the forefront of this presence is Fatima Al-Zahraa Al-Mansouri, Prime Minister and Supervisor of Public Policy Coordination, followed by Sharafat Afilal, who was assigned the portfolio of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development concerned with energy sovereignty files, and Najwa Kokos, Minister of Family, Social Development and Equality.
Women’s representation extends to include important mandated positions, represented by Qalub Fittah, who is in charge of relations with Parliament and civil society, Madiha Khair in the vocational training sector, and Fatima Al-Saadi, who is in charge of housing and city policy, along with Aisha Klaa, who took on the task of reforming the administration and modernizing the public facility.
The new ministerial formation maintained the stability of the sovereign and security axes of the Kingdom of Morocco to ensure the continuity of the state’s strategic directions, as the Moroccan king renewed his confidence in Abdelwafi Laftit as Minister of the Interior, and Nasser Bourita as Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, and alongside them, Ahmed Toufiq continued his position as Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs.
This stability was also embodied in the renewal of confidence in a number of ministers who maintained their presence in vital portfolios. Abdel Latif Wehbe remained Minister of Justice, and Mohamed Mahdi Ben Said Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports, in addition to Fawzi Lakjaaa being appointed Minister of Economy, Finance and Public Efficiency.
This appointment reflects a clear desire to preserve the Kingdom’s major macroeconomic balances, continue structural reforms in the areas of financing, budget management, and raise the efficiency of public spending.
Placing Lekjaa at the top of the financial pyramid comes as a step aimed at ensuring financial and investment stability, especially in light of Morocco’s upcoming major international commitments and sustainable development projects being implemented at the territorial level. In response to the requirements of the times and modernizing the economic and administrative structure, the government has created sectors that keep pace with international developments, embodied in the appointment of Ahmed Rahou as Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation and Administration Reform, which demonstrates Rabat’s desire to integrate advanced technology as a basic pillar for developing the emerging economy and improving the quality of services provided to citizens.
