Khartoum: Fierce fighting erupted again capital of sudan Tens of thousands fled bloody upheaval as Sunday and a former prime minister warned of the “nightmare” risk of a full-scale descent civil war,
Military forces clashed with paramilitary forces in Khartoum in deadly hostilities that have entered a third week, with the latest widely breached ceasefire set to formally end at midnight (2200 GMT).
“There has been very heavy fighting and heavy shelling,” a resident of southern Khartoum told AFP.
Gun battles were also reported around the army headquarters in central Khartoum, and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) carried out airstrikes in Omdurman, the capital’s twin city across the Nile, according to witnesses.
Confirming an army statement, the force said the Central Reserve Police, a paramilitary unit, was being deployed in Khartoum, a city of half a million, to “protect civilian properties from looting”.
The police force said it had arrested 316 “insurgents”, a reference to paramilitary Rapid Support Force fighters, but this was not confirmed by the RSF, which had previously warned police against getting involved in fighting.
Foreign nations have struggled to evacuate their citizens by air, road and sea since fighting threw the country into turmoil on April 15.
The first Red Cross aircraft brought eight tons of humanitarian aid from Jordan to Port Sudan, including surgical supplies and medical kits to stabilize 1,500 patients.
Millions of Sudanese have faced severe shortages of water, food, medicines and other basic supplies, while tens of thousands have fled to neighboring countries, with more on the way.
The fighting is the culmination of a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF chief Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti.
Sudan’s former prime minister, Abdullah Hamdok, warned on Saturday against the conflict worsening into one of the world’s worst civil wars.
Hamdok said at an event in Nairobi, “God forbid if Sudan is to reach a point of civil war… Syria, Yemen, Libya will be a short game.” “I think it would be a nightmare for the world.”
– Threat of famine –
The health ministry said at least 528 people had died and about 4,600 were injured in the violence, but these figures were likely to be incomplete, with 12 of the fighting taking place. Sudan18 states of
Khartoum authorities on Sunday placed civil servants on open leave “due to the security situation”.
The UN World Food Program has warned that unrest could push millions more into starvation in a country where 15 million people already need aid to avoid famine.
According to the World Health Organization, only 16 percent of hospitals in Khartoum are functioning, with many facilities engulfed in fighting.
Majoub Saad Ibrahim, a doctor in Ad Damar, north of Khartoum, warned “the situation cannot be sustained” because medical supplies are short. “This war is ominous and we hope it stops,” he told AFPTV.
The warring sides have agreed to several ceasefires but none have taken hold.
The latest three-day ceasefire was agreed on Thursday after mediation led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the United Nations.
His ministry said an envoy from Burhan met the Saudi foreign minister in Riyadh, who called for the restoration of “peace” in Sudan.
Sudan was ruled for decades by Islamist-backed strongman Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted by the military in 2019 after massive pro-democracy protests.
Burhan and Daglo gained complete control in a coup in 2021 before turning against each other.
The United Nations said about 75,000 have been displaced by the fighting. At least 20,000 people have fled to Chad, 4,000 to South Sudan, 3,500 to Ethiopia and 3,000 to the Central African Republic.
The fighting has also triggered a mass exodus of foreigners and international workers.
Saudi Arabia said it had taken more than 5,000 people to safety on ships across the Red Sea, and Britain said it had evacuated just under 1,900 citizens in 21 flights, following a large airlift by France, Germany and other countries. was taken out
Fighting, looting and anarchy are widespread in the Darfur region. The United Nations said at least 96 people had been reported killed in El Jinina in West Darfur.
At least 300,000 people were killed and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, after Bashir unleashed Janjaweed militias in 2003.
Daglo’s RSF are descendants of the Janjavids.
The Carnegie Middle East Center suggested that Dagalo’s military prospects “will ultimately be based on his force’s ability to overcome the SAF’s superior firepower in an urban setting”.
It argued that the worsening humanitarian situation is to their advantage, because “the longer they can maintain their position in Khartoum, the more likely they are to have leverage at the negotiating table.
“On the other hand, if SAF pushes him out of the capital, Hemeti could potentially mobilize Arab tribes in Darfur and beyond, threatening Sudan’s unity.”
Military forces clashed with paramilitary forces in Khartoum in deadly hostilities that have entered a third week, with the latest widely breached ceasefire set to formally end at midnight (2200 GMT).
“There has been very heavy fighting and heavy shelling,” a resident of southern Khartoum told AFP.
Gun battles were also reported around the army headquarters in central Khartoum, and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) carried out airstrikes in Omdurman, the capital’s twin city across the Nile, according to witnesses.
Confirming an army statement, the force said the Central Reserve Police, a paramilitary unit, was being deployed in Khartoum, a city of half a million, to “protect civilian properties from looting”.
The police force said it had arrested 316 “insurgents”, a reference to paramilitary Rapid Support Force fighters, but this was not confirmed by the RSF, which had previously warned police against getting involved in fighting.
Foreign nations have struggled to evacuate their citizens by air, road and sea since fighting threw the country into turmoil on April 15.
The first Red Cross aircraft brought eight tons of humanitarian aid from Jordan to Port Sudan, including surgical supplies and medical kits to stabilize 1,500 patients.
Millions of Sudanese have faced severe shortages of water, food, medicines and other basic supplies, while tens of thousands have fled to neighboring countries, with more on the way.
The fighting is the culmination of a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF chief Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti.
Sudan’s former prime minister, Abdullah Hamdok, warned on Saturday against the conflict worsening into one of the world’s worst civil wars.
Hamdok said at an event in Nairobi, “God forbid if Sudan is to reach a point of civil war… Syria, Yemen, Libya will be a short game.” “I think it would be a nightmare for the world.”
– Threat of famine –
The health ministry said at least 528 people had died and about 4,600 were injured in the violence, but these figures were likely to be incomplete, with 12 of the fighting taking place. Sudan18 states of
Khartoum authorities on Sunday placed civil servants on open leave “due to the security situation”.
The UN World Food Program has warned that unrest could push millions more into starvation in a country where 15 million people already need aid to avoid famine.
According to the World Health Organization, only 16 percent of hospitals in Khartoum are functioning, with many facilities engulfed in fighting.
Majoub Saad Ibrahim, a doctor in Ad Damar, north of Khartoum, warned “the situation cannot be sustained” because medical supplies are short. “This war is ominous and we hope it stops,” he told AFPTV.
The warring sides have agreed to several ceasefires but none have taken hold.
The latest three-day ceasefire was agreed on Thursday after mediation led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the United Nations.
His ministry said an envoy from Burhan met the Saudi foreign minister in Riyadh, who called for the restoration of “peace” in Sudan.
Sudan was ruled for decades by Islamist-backed strongman Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted by the military in 2019 after massive pro-democracy protests.
Burhan and Daglo gained complete control in a coup in 2021 before turning against each other.
The United Nations said about 75,000 have been displaced by the fighting. At least 20,000 people have fled to Chad, 4,000 to South Sudan, 3,500 to Ethiopia and 3,000 to the Central African Republic.
The fighting has also triggered a mass exodus of foreigners and international workers.
Saudi Arabia said it had taken more than 5,000 people to safety on ships across the Red Sea, and Britain said it had evacuated just under 1,900 citizens in 21 flights, following a large airlift by France, Germany and other countries. was taken out
Fighting, looting and anarchy are widespread in the Darfur region. The United Nations said at least 96 people had been reported killed in El Jinina in West Darfur.
At least 300,000 people were killed and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, after Bashir unleashed Janjaweed militias in 2003.
Daglo’s RSF are descendants of the Janjavids.
The Carnegie Middle East Center suggested that Dagalo’s military prospects “will ultimately be based on his force’s ability to overcome the SAF’s superior firepower in an urban setting”.
It argued that the worsening humanitarian situation is to their advantage, because “the longer they can maintain their position in Khartoum, the more likely they are to have leverage at the negotiating table.
“On the other hand, if SAF pushes him out of the capital, Hemeti could potentially mobilize Arab tribes in Darfur and beyond, threatening Sudan’s unity.”