Sudan denounces media reports on Belfast stabbing suspect
June 13, 2026 (LONDON) – The Sudanese Embassy in London on Saturday condemned a Daily Telegraph report regarding a suspect in a Belfast stabbing incident, calling claims that the man was a former police officer inaccurate.
A Belfast court in Northern Ireland recently charged 30-year-old Sudanese national Hadi Alodid with attempted murder following a knife attack that left a man seriously injured and blind in one eye. The incident triggered a wave of tension and violent anti-immigration protests in the city.
Alodid was remanded in custody after appearing via video link, with initial investigations indicating he was detained at the scene while armed with a knife.
The Sudanese embassy expressed deep concern over a Daily Telegraph article published on June 11, stating it contained unverified information about the suspect. The embassy added that it had requested a correction from the newspaper, but the publication has yet to rectify the errors.
Publishing misleading information could negatively impact ongoing investigations and expose innocent individuals to threats and harassment, the embassy said in a statement.
The embassy clarified that the suspect has never served in the Sudanese police or any other security institution, noting that he remains registered as a student in Sudan’s civil registry.
According to the embassy, the Daily Telegraph relied on information from an individual living in Libya who was described as a friend of the suspect.
The diplomatic mission pointed out that this account fundamentally contradicts the newspaper’s own reporting on June 9, which cited the Police Service of Northern Ireland as saying the suspect had arrived in Belfast in February 2023 from Dublin after flying in from Paris.
Following the knife attack, widespread riots and anti-immigration protests erupted across Belfast and several other parts of the United Kingdom. Masked crowds clashed with law enforcement, targeting police officers with projectiles and setting fire to a city bus, vehicles, and multiple properties, which forced several local families to flee their homes amid escalating racial tensions.
The embassy also rejected claims that the suspect is from the northern town of Karima or belongs to an influential political family, describing his background as ordinary and without any political involvement.
Criminal responsibility is strictly individual, the embassy added, emphasizing that the suspect’s family members, including two brothers reportedly living in the United Kingdom, bear no responsibility for the alleged crime.