International
Refugees from the Sudan war rebuild their lives between fear and hope
Every afternoon, a group of women fleeing the conflict in Sudan gather in a tent in the transit center of Renk, a border town in the territory of South Sudan, to participate in a workshop on gender violence, where they share their testimony, receive the attention of professionals and begin to heal the wounds that the war left them in body and mind.
Some of the attendees are South Sudanese returnees; others, Sudanese refugees, and all try to overcome the fear, suffering and violence, in many sexual cases, that they lived during their escape from the war that broke out more than a year ago between the Army of Sudan and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (FAR).
They sit in a circle and listen in silence to one of the women who decides to explain her story. Some nod, a tear runs down the cheek of another who plays with the hem of her colorful dress, while a woman decides to add her experience.
The safety and well-being of their children was the first thing, despite being paralyzed by fear. Salma, a fictitious name, tells EFE that his three children were unable to sleep due to the fear of bombs and gunfire. Now they sleep a little better, but they are still restless.
“We fled our home in Khartoum (capital of Sudan) around midnight. No car. We walked in silence to another town and another and another,” Salma says about the nightmare of leaving his house behind and crossing the Joda border crossing to apply for refuge in South Sudan.
He doesn’t talk about her. She doesn’t feel prepared. She explains that she lost her husband along the way, without giving details, and is grateful because the little ones can go to a kind of nursery in the center, but regrets that the elderly cannot continue studying.
Dunia, also a pseudonym, feels lucky to have her husband, but shares her concern for minors. “I want my children to be able to go back to school. We want them to open a school here, we don’t want to go to the Mabán refugee camp,” he explains.
After spending half a month in the Renk transit center, the refugees are transferred to the Mabán camp, a nearby location, but neither Dunia nor other women want to: “The facilities are not good and they rape girls and women when they move away to the latrines or to look for firewood in the outskirts,” he says.
Sexual violence against women is a common weapon in all wars. It’s not easy to talk about this episode in their lives. None of them do it. Shame and social and community rejection weighs, and they do not want to reopen wounds that are still healing.
According to a report issued in February by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “at least 118 people were exposed to sexual violence, including rape, gang rape and attempted rape,” while Sudanese human rights organizations raise the figure to more than 370 in just over a year of war in the African country.
However, these figures are only the tip of the iceberg. The director of the government Department for the Fight against Violence against Women and Children, Salima Ishaq, told EFE that only 2% of the victims of sexual violence have dared to report it to the authorities, while the rest avoid it because of “social restrictions” or “for fear of reprisals.”
“The estimates indicate that the complaints we receive do not exceed 2% of the actual incidents of sexual violence, which means that the total number could reach 7,000 cases of sexual violence,” he added.
Sexual violence has another retaliation: unwanted pregnancies. The Sudanese authorities announced in mid-May that they had taken in a dozen babies abandoned by women raped by FAR fighters, although they did not disclose possible cases resulting from alleged rapes committed by members of the Army.
Yamila was robbed of everything during her escape. Some armed men took her husband and demanded a ransom. He doesn’t have money or know where he is, not even if he’s still alive. “I want him to come back. I’ve thought about killing myself because my children ask me about him and I don’t know what to answer, but I have to move on for them,” he says in tears.
“They are the future. I want you to study and go to university. They are sad because they don’t go to class. One wants to be a teacher, the other wants to be a doctor,” he adds. Despite everything, he appreciates the company of the other women because they give him strength.
It agrees with her Nouran, who recognizes the positive effect that this therapy group has among the participants: “We talk about our problems and look for solutions. Together we are stronger and we help and advise each other, we talk about the children…”
The session ends, but they all feel a little lighter and more lively. They think that when they say something out loud, they take a weight off their back. Tomorrow they will return and little by little they will reinforce this network of women with which they are rebuilding their lives with a shared desire: that the war ends to return to their home, Sudan.
International
Mexican TikTok Influencer Shot Dead While Livestreaming in Sinaloa
A Mexican influencer was shot dead Tuesday night while livestreaming on social media outside a restaurant in the violence-plagued state of Sinaloa, in northwestern Mexico.
César Gastelum, who had more than 500,000 followers on TikTok, was broadcasting live with two friends while taking part in a challenge in which they dressed as food delivery workers. During the livestream, a motorcycle carrying two individuals stopped beside them, and the driver shot Gastelum in the head.
The broadcast was interrupted immediately after the attack and was later removed by the platform. However, several news outlets preserved parts of the footage and shared images of the incident.
Initial reports from local police indicated that a delivery worker had been killed. However, after reviewing the recording and gathering witness statements, authorities identified the victim as Gastelum, who was approximately 25 years old, according to local media reports. The influencer was known for sharing lifestyle-related content.
The attack took place in a busy shopping area near the Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office in Culiacán, the state capital. Military and police forces were deployed to the scene, while forensic experts collected evidence and removed the victim’s body, according to local television reports.
Sinaloa has been experiencing a wave of violence for the past two years due to internal disputes within the powerful local drug cartel.
Local media have reported that around a dozen influencers, some allegedly linked to criminal groups, have been killed in recent years in the state.
International
Iran Rejects Negotiations With U.S. as Strait of Hormuz Remains Blocked Amid New Attack
Tensions remained high in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after a vessel was hit by a projectile, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that negotiations with Iran were moving forward and that the strategic maritime route could reopen as early as Tuesday.
Tehran denied that direct talks were taking place, but Trump insisted that discussions were underway and described the situation as a final opportunity for Iran to reach an agreement.
“This is the last chance they have to sign a good document,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could happen “literally tomorrow” Tuesday.
The comments came after another escalation in rhetoric from Washington. Last week, Trump threatened Iran with military strikes before unexpectedly changing course on Sunday and announcing that negotiations with Tehran would resume.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai rejected the U.S. president’s version of events, stating that Tehran was not holding negotiations with Washington.
“At this moment, we are not negotiating with the United States. We are negotiating with Oman to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Baqai said.
Earlier, the Iranian official said that Tehran was close to reaching an agreement with Oman, which lies across the Strait of Hormuz, to reopen the crucial waterway that plays a key role in global energy trade.
The maritime route has remained blocked by Iran since the outbreak of hostilities following U.S. and Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic on February 28.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced Tuesday that they had launched an attack against an airport in Saudi Arabia. The Iran-backed group had previously disrupted the passage of Saudi vessels through the Red Sea, an alternative route used for crude exports by the world’s largest oil producer.
The continued instability in the region has raised concerns over global energy supplies, as the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important chokepoints for international oil shipments.
International
Lula Launches Re-Election Campaign Amid Rising Tensions With Trump
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is set to be officially nominated for re-election by his Workers’ Party (PT), marking the start of his campaign for a fourth presidential term.
The nomination takes place during the party’s national convention in São Paulo, Brazil’s economic hub, where around 3,000 supporters gathered to back the veteran leftist leader.
“Today I’m here because Lula’s policies changed my life and my family’s. Thanks to him, we finally own a home after eight generations without one,” said Cristiane Rosa Julho, a 51-year-old social worker attending the event dressed in the PT’s signature red.
Seeking the presidency for the seventh time in his political career, Lula is expected to face Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in next year’s election.
The 45-year-old senator is the son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been jailed over his alleged role in an attempted coup following his defeat to Lula in the 2022 election.
The party convention opened with videos highlighting Lula’s social initiatives and speeches by four women praising his leadership, while supporters waved PT flags and held signs reading “We Want Lula as President” and “Brazil Is Not for Sale.”
The campaign begins amid growing tensions with the United States and President Donald Trump, a close ally of the Bolsonaro family who has openly backed several conservative candidates across Latin America.
Last week, Lula warned against foreign interference, declaring, “In Brazil, we do not accept anyone sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong.”
In July, the United States imposed two rounds of tariffs on Brazilian products, accusing the country of unfair trade practices. The measures followed earlier restrictions introduced in 2025, encouraged by Jair Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo Bolsonaro, in response to legal proceedings against the former president.
Lula has vowed to wage what he called a “war of truth against lies” in response to Washington’s pressure and accused Flávio Bolsonaro of undermining Brazil’s interests by allegedly helping the United States damage the country’s economy. The senator has denied the accusations.
The Brazilian president also claims Washington is attempting to influence the country’s political landscape in an effort to prevent his re-election.
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