The White House said US officials are in contact with the military authorities in Sudan and urged for an immediate end to combat between the army and a paramilitary group.
“We regret the increasing violence emanating from Khartoum and other parts of Sudan. A representative for the White House National Security Council urged a quick, unconditional ceasefire between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the army, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, the commander of the RSF, have both been in direct touch with US authorities, according to the spokesperson.
They were instructed to quickly and unconditionally halt hostilities, according to the communication. Additionally, we are in close contact with partners in the area and outside with the situation in Sudan, the official added.
“This risky escalation undermines the aspirations of the Sudanese people and jeopardises the progress achieved so far in the talks to restore Sudan’s democratic transition. They want an end to hostilities and a democratic Sudan, according to the spokesperson.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")