External support for armed groups and mercenaries is the main obstacle to peace in Sudan, the country’s justice minister told Al Jazeera at the Doha Forum. He stressed the need for a democratic transition through a Sudanese-led dialogue process.
Doha, Qatar – The prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, has called for inclusive engagement, including with non-state actors such as the Palestinian group Hamas, as the only viable route to regional peace.
Speaking to United States journalist Tucker Carlson on Sunday at the Doha Forum, Sheikh Mohammed said you cannot resolve or reach a solution “if you have no one speaking to non-state actors”.
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The start of Qatar’s relationship with Hamas goes back more than 10 years, he said, adding that opening the group’s office in the country came at the request of the US, aiming to enhance communications with the armed group.
“When they [Hamas] moved their office back in 2012 here [Qatar], it was used only for communication and to facilitate ceasefires and aid to Gaza,” Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the foreign minister, said.
Qatar has also hosted the Taliban’s political office since 2013, during the group’s war with the US and the former Afghan government. The office was also established at Washington’s request to create a venue for potential peace negotiations.
Sheikh Mohammed refuted allegations that any money going to Gaza went to Hamas, insisting it goes to the Palestinian people.
“Politicians are trying to use this for short-term political gains … to fuel their narratives,” the prime minister stated.
“All our aid, financing, and all our support … went to the people in Gaza, and was a very transparent process that the United States is very aware of … [and] Israel was the one facilitating.
“This communication has led to ceasefires, has led to the release of hostages, has led to alleviating the suffering of the people over there,” he added.
Discussing Israel’s shocking attack on Qatar in September, Sheikh Mohammed described it as an “unethical move”.
“The concept of mediation is like having a safe place for conflicted parties to achieve a deal, to end wars and to end conflicts,” he said.
“The mediator being bombed by one of the parties – this has been unprecedented.”
The prime minister revealed that US President Donald Trump was caught off guard by Israel’s actions.
“President Trump was very clear from the beginning… When he was informed about the attack, he assigned one of his advisers to reach out to us immediately. He expressed his frustration, his disappointment, because he knows everything about the process and how helpful we were throughout,” he said.
“He made it very clear for everyone that this is like the red line, that he doesn’t want anyone to cross.”
On the reconstruction of a devastated Gaza, following Israel’s ongoing two-year genocidal war, Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar would “continue supporting the Palestinian people”.
“We will do whatever to alleviate their suffering,” he emphasised.
However, he said Qatar “will not write the cheque for what others destroyed”.
“When it comes to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, we hear that Russia should fund all the reconstruction, and their assets should be seized to fund all the reconstruction of Ukraine,” he pointed out. “[But] when you are talking about Israel … and you say that Israel has the responsibility to rebuild what is destroyed, they will tell you no. It’s really a very ironic double standard.
“Our position is that our payments will go only to help the Palestinian people, if we see that the help coming to them is insufficient,” Sheikh Mohammed added.
According to UN estimates, 92 percent of all residential buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed since Israel’s war on the besieged enclave began on October 7, 2023, producing between 55-60 million tonnes of rubble. It has been estimated by the UN that it will take decades to rebuild.
Moreover, the prime minister firmly opposed any forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel.
“It’s hurting us when we hear people talking about the people of Gaza as some sort of different people,” he said.
A drone attack by the RSF and its allied al-Hilou group on a preschool in Kalogi in Sudan has killed more than 100 people, dozens of whom were children. It sparked international condemnation amid worsening violence as the RSF fights Sudan’s Armed Forces in South Kordofan state.
At least three people have been killed and six injured in a car explosion outside a police station in Mexico’s western state of Michoacan, according to local and federal security officials.
The blast on Saturday took place at a central avenue in Coahuayana, the attorney general’s office said in a statement.
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“The driver died at the scene, while two other people died in the regional hospital, and six others were injured,” it added.
The two victims who died in the hospital were community police officers, said Hector Zepeda, commander of the Coahuayana community police. He said the remains of some of the victims were found scattered in the area of the explosion, which also damaged nearby buildings. Images circulating online showed a completely burned-out vehicle.
The explosion came as the federal government has stepped up security activities in the state following the recent assassinations of an outspoken representative of the lime growers and a popular mayor standing up to the drug cartels.
Last month, President Claudia Sheinbaum sent 2,000 troops – on top of the 4,300 permanent ones and 4,000 in neighbouring states – to Michoacan following the high-profile killings.
“With this operation [from the federal government], a lot of marines came,” Zepeda said. “We stopped doing patrols because the operation is going on.”
The community police, which patrol various rural communities, trace their roots to the civilian vigilante forces that took up arms more than a decade ago to defend communities from the cartels, and then were formalised by the state.
At least three of the six drug cartels that the United States has designated as “terrorist” organisations – Jalisco New Generation, United Cartels and The New Michoacan Family – operate in Michoacan, in addition to a number of other splinter groups, some supported by the Sinaloa cartel.
Last year, some 3,000 explosive devices were seized in the state compared with 160 in 2022. So far this year, there have been more than 2,000, according to the state security agency.
Bethlehem has lit its Christmas tree for the first time since Israel began its genocide on Palestinians in Gaza, offering a rare moment of hope even as West Bank residents under occupation face severe economic hardships and ongoing Israeli assaults.
Australia cruised to an emphatic eight-wicket win over England in the day-night second Ashes Test in Brisbane on Sunday for an ominous 2-0 lead in the series.
The hosts chased down the paltry target of 65 in just 10 overs, captain Steve Smith pulling Gus Atkinson for a huge six over square leg for the winning runs.
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Although not as humiliating as the two-day loss in the first Test in Perth, England were comprehensively outplayed in Brisbane in every department.
Their batting, apart from that of Joe Root and Zak Crawley in the first innings and captain Ben Stokes and Will Jacks in the second, was just as rash as in Perth.
They gave their wickets away with poor strokes on the bouncy Gabba surface.
They also bowled poorly, pitching too short on the Gabba wicket and wasting the new pink ball, in stark contrast to an Australian attack missing spearheads Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
To make matters worse, England dropped five catches in the first innings, whereas Australia’s fielders caught everything that came their way.
Josh Inglis’s brilliant run-out of Stokes in the first innings changed the course of the match.
Australia now have a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series and are overwhelming favourites to retain the Ashes with matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney to follow.
England were behind the game once they let Australia’s tail help the home side post 511 on Saturday, an overall lead of 177.
They then lost six second-innings wickets under lights to end the third day 134-6, still 43 runs behind the Australian total.
While many expected England to surrender meekly on Sunday, Stokes and all-rounder Jacks led a fighting rearguard action to ensure Australia had to bat a second time.
Stokes and Jacks defied the Australian pace attack on a fiercely hot day to edge their way past the initial deficit target and begin to set Australia something to chase.
England batting coach Marcus Trescothick said Saturday his batsmen would not change their aggressive approach, despite a clatter of wickets from poor shots.
But Stokes and Jacks did the exact opposite during the first session on Sunday.
They left balls they didn’t need to play and seemed happy to take their runs in singles rather than expansive boundary shots.
They scored just 28 runs in the first hour and passed the 43-run deficit 96 minutes into the session, scoring only 59 runs in the two hours.
The Australian bowlers, who ran rampant under lights on Saturday with the pink ball, were far more ineffective on Sunday, despite the wicket beginning to play some tricks.
The English offered only one chance when Scott Boland squared up Stokes, who got a thick edge over the slips cordon.
They continued to frustrate the Australians in the second session until just before the drinks break, Jacks got an edge to Michael Neser and Smith snared a breathtaking catch at slip, diving full length to his left and catching it low to the ground.
Neser struck again in the next over when Stokes nibbled at a ball outside the off-stump and got a fine edge to keeper Alex Carey to leave England 227-8, a lead of exactly 50.
Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer offered no real resistance as Neser recorded career-best figures of 5-42 and Smith equalled Rahul Dravid on 210 outfield catches, three behind current record-holder Root.
Sixty-five was never going to be enough, and although Australia lost Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne in the chase, Smith and Jake Weatherald guided the home side to an easy win in style.
The third test starts December 17 at the Adelaide Oval, with England needing a win to have any chance of reclaiming the Ashes. The fourth test starts Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and Sydney will host the fifth test from January 4.
