hemeti has close ties with saudi arabia, the uae, and libya.nd libyan warlord khalifa haftar has reportedly sent military supplies to the rapid support forces, which he denies. the russian mercenary organization, wagner group, has also been accused of plundering sudan's gold resources to bankroll its operations in ukraine. >> we don't have yet information that it has been actively engaged in conflict, but it is of course, in no way it can be denied that it has been somehow behind the hemeti organization and trying to protect that rsf's -- protect the rsf's dominations in sudan's politics. reporter: israel is involved, too. its foreign minister has been engaging with burhan on normalizing ties between the two countries in recent years. a prolonged conflict would also disrupt plans by uae companies to build ports, as well as china's investments in sudan. any escalation would have regional implications, threatening nearby states like south sudan that export oil through its northern neighbor. there would also be a risk of rising numbers of refugees

you have hemeti in moscow on the day russia invaded ukraine.lk about him getting support for the rsf forces from the wagoner group, the russian group. then you have the united states there clearing out its embassy, 16,000 so they're posted saudi arabia and italy clearing their staff will stop talk about the significance of this. is this also a fight of resources as you mentioned, gold? >> absolutely. there is no question there's a very good chance it would devolve into a proxy war because these two generals had already been utilized as proxies by certain powers. in the case of hemeti, no question the wagner corporation whether mercenaries had helped in amassing gold and smuggled not only to russia eventually but the majority of it to the united arab emirates. that is very important. he also served in the past as a mercenary, being sent to yemen at the behest in support of yemen, saudi arabia and the united arab emirates in that war . another important aspect of hemeti, he has close links with the libyan national army that also supported him. he

but the rapid support forces are very reliant on general hemeti, who is really the unchallenged headust particular army. jonas, can you just explain _ particular army. jonas, can you just explain to _ particular army. jonas, can you just explain to us _ particular army. jonas, can you just explain to us about - particular army. jonas, can you just explain to us about this . just explain to us about this battle, the factions involved, and why they are going to battle and to fight with each other? because perhaps people joining us now might not know the background here. certainly. well, the history _ the background here. certainly. well, the history is _ the background here. certainly. well, the history is quite - well, the history is quite long, but, you know, in the recent past, as things have unravelled, what we are dealing with are two militaries. one is the sudanese armed forces, who are the legitimate army of sudan, and the rapid support forces are, you know, made up of many fighters, particularly from the peripheries, the long—suffering peripheries of sudan. and, you know, there

it�*s the country�*s biggest export, and hemeti�*s family has a big stake in it.erests too — very useful for the kremlin. sudan is africa�*s third biggest country. what happens there matters to its neighbours and to the wider world. russia, the united states, saudi arabia — lots of countries are vying for influence and watching, nervously, to see if civil war is about to erupt. paul adams there, our dear climatic correspondent. the most powerful space rocket ever built, the unmanned spacex starship, has blown up shortly after launch in texas. it was the second attempted launch this week, after the first was called off on monday because of techincal problems. the spacex founder elon musk welcomed what he called an "exciting test launch", and said there would be another in a few months. spacex hopes that the rocket will eventually lead to an era of interplanetary travel, as our science editor rebecca morelle reports. a tense wait in the final seconds... ignition. two, one... ..as the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built gets ready to fly. we have lift—off. st

al—bashir in the end whether generals, general burhan with the sudanese armed forces and general hemetiy carried out a further coup in 2021 against the joint civilian military administration, so for more than a year now sudan has been ruled exclusively by the generals, general burhan, apparently in command, general hemeti of the paramilitary rapid support forces his deputy, and a rivalry between the two grew, tensions about how the rapid support forces could be integrated into the armed forces too. and so three days ago clashes between the two broke out. we have some pictures here from the capital khartoum. you can see the planes, that the international airport, smoke everywhere. that's the sort of daily reality for sudanese civilians right now, particularly in the capital but also elsewhere in the country. i want to show you one last image, this is really astonishing. this is the capital, millions of people living here. that's the blue nile coming from ethiopia, the white nile coming from ethiopia, the white nile from south sudan. this is khartoum, and this is black smoke. that is the

general hemeti from rsf on the right.ak to our correspondent merchuma — who is following developments from the kenyan capital nairobi. the latest from sudan as all the countries — the latest from sudan as all the countries trying to get the nationals out and saudi arabia are some _ nationals out and saudi arabia are some of— nationals out and saudi arabia are some of the people trying to get there _ some of the people trying to get there people out and it is a very difficult — there people out and it is a very difficult situation and if you can 'ust difficult situation and if you can just go— difficult situation and if you can just go back to when the helicopters were only— just go back to when the helicopters were only on the ground for about one hour — were only on the ground for about one hour |t— were only on the ground for about one hour. , , .., , were only on the ground for about one hour. , , , ., one hour. it is basically in and out, no one hour. it is basically in and out. no time _ one hour. it is basically in

we have had no reply at all from the rapid reaction forces of general hemeti.d, "the army will not enter "into negotiations with the rebel rapid support forces, "which have no choice but to surrender." so the prospects for talks seem a little questionable, perhaps even rather bleak at the moment, but i am quite sure that behind—the—scenes an awful lot of people are trying to make sure that this ceasefire is extended, partly because there are still international citizens who their governments would dearly like to get out while they can, and also to try and stabilise the situation on the ground, because there are terrible fears that it simply is going to get worse. that was paul adams, only about an hour or so ago. earlier i wasjoined by tagreed abdin — she has chosen to remain in the capital despite the bombings and the fighting she could hearfrom her home. she began by giving me her reasons for that decision. the reason we chose to stay is that we couldn't guarantee the roads were safe, the evacuation routes were safe. even people who made it out, we were heari

i remain very pessimistic that general al—burhan will prevail and general hemeti can retreat to westernan, to die for and continue the struggle from there. i hope i am wrong but i feari there. i hope i am wrong but i fear i am may be right. there. i hope i am wrong but i feari am may be right.- there. i hope i am wrong but i feari am may be right. good to have your _ feari am may be right. good to have your insights, _ feari am may be right. good to have your insights, thank- feari am may be right. good to have your insights, thank you. | to the us state of montana now where a transgender lawmaker has been silenced by republican leaders in the state's house of representatives over comments she made on the floor about gender—affirming medical care for transgender youth. representative zooey zephyr is the first openly transgender person elected to montana's legislature. montana's house speaker says she won't be allowed to speak about bills on the house floor until she apologises — after she said this about that bill. lastly i would say there were conversations at the end of this, at the v

focus is on trying to put an end to the fighting between these two men, general burhan and general hemetin to take out all diplomats, with no plans in evidence at the moment to evacuate british nationals. the evidence at the moment to evacuate british nationals.— british nationals. the british government _ british nationals. the british government has _ british nationals. the british government has a _ british nationals. the british government has a duty - british nationals. the british government has a duty of i british nationals. the british i government has a duty of care, of course, to all of our citizens, but specifically we have it to our own employees and diplomatic staff and their dependents and the reason we lifted them out was because the british residents and bersih were caught between the two lines. countries around the world have been frantically evacuated both diplomats and some of their nationals. this was a spanish flight leaving khartoum last night, and this is a dutch flight and this was a french evacuation to djibouti. the european union says that more than 1000 of its

kenya, trying to be as ready as they can to evacuate their citizens whenever possible —— general hemetig going on, even as we speak, flying into sudan is impossible.— speak, flying into sudan is impossible. speak, flying into sudan is imossible. . ., , ., impossible. and that leads to the absolute crux _ impossible. and that leads to the absolute crux of _ impossible. and that leads to the absolute crux of what _ impossible. and that leads to the absolute crux of what is - impossible. and that leads to the absolute crux of what is so - absolute crux of what is so difficult for everyone effectively who is trapped in khartoum at the moment. because you can't move around freely without the risk of coming across the shelling and the gunfire, what that means is people who need vital supplies, food, water, electricity, medical supplies, just can't get it. that's why so many people were hoping this truce would come into effect. but it hasn't, despite the words, therefore people on the ground are trapped and struggling. yes people on the ground are trapped and stru: culin. ,., people on the gro

sudanese army denied such talks, we have had no reaction from the rapid support forces of general hemetit enter negotiations with the ripple forces which have no choice but to surrender. the prospects for talks seem a little questionable, perhaps even rather bleak at the moment. i am sure behind—the—scenes a lot of people are trying to make sure that this ceasefire is extended. partly because there are still international citizens who, their government would like to get out while they can and also to try and stabilise the situation on the ground because there are terrible fears it is simply going to get worse. ., , fears it is simply going to get worse. . , . ., worse. thanks very much for the latest where _ worse. thanks very much for the latest where you _ worse. thanks very much for the latest where you are. _ worse. thanks very much for the latest where you are. i _ worse. thanks very much for the latest where you are. i want - worse. thanks very much for the latest where you are. i want to l worse. thanks very much for the - latest where you are. i want to show you the live pictures

locked in a bloody power struggle with the general mohammed hamdan dagalo, who is better known as hemetif the paramilitary group that is known as the rapid support forces, rsf for short. a tenuous cease-fire which was extended for another 72 hours on friday has failed to curb the heavy fighting. and these two generals trace their origin to another sudanese conflict, the darfur genocide. some of you may recall the same darn for campaign for 20 years ago, when rebels in darfur, which is a poor, remote region in western sudan rose up against the authoritarian rule of president, omar, al-bashir. beshear was spawned with brute force, dispatching security forces that ruthlessly crushed that rebellion. hundreds of thousands of people died, women were systematically raped, millions were displaced. the international community went on to declare the actions of the sudan military and genocide. both generals were key figures during the dark for that genocide, working together to crush the uprising on behalf of the authoritarian central government. in the years since, both men rose to the military ra

, who forces, and general hemeti, who is who was his deputy and is commanding an organisation called colonel richard temp . thert— numbers. well, colonel richard temp . thert wou— numbers. well, colonel richard kemp , thank you for- well, colonel richard kemp , thank you for your input kemp, thank you for your input totew.— kemp, thank you for your input totew. art— kemp, thank you for your input totew. art eer— kemp, thank you for your input today. and can i— kemp, thank you for your input today. and can i thank you again for today. and can i thank you again tor hetptra— today. and can i thank you again tor hetprralto— today. and can i thank you again for helping to make sure that for helping us to make sure that ttememtre— for helping us to make sure that remembrance sunday went ahead turtra— remembrance sunday went ahead during lockdown._ remembrance sunday went ahead during lockdown. remember, you got during lockdown. remember, you aot truotuet— during lockdown. remember, you got involved-that— during lockdown. remember, you got involved that campaign during lockdown. remember, y