Khartoum: A convoy of the US embassy was set on fire SudanWashington’s top diplomat said on Tuesday as he stepped up efforts to broker a ceasefire between the country’s two top generals. Nevertheless, the armies of the two rivals piled on each other with heavy weapons in the capital on the fourth day. Khartoum,
The attack on the convoy in Khartoum, along with an attack on the EU envoy’s residence and shelling of the Norwegian ambassador’s home, signaled a further deterioration in the fighting. Millions of Sudanese holed up in their homes in the capital and other major cities are caught in the crossfire as the two armies battle for control, each general now insisting he will crush the other.
A convoy of clearly marked US embassy vehicles was attacked on Monday, and preliminary reports link the attackers to the Rapid Support Force, a paramilitary group battling Sudan’s military, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters. Everyone in the convoy was safe, he said.
More than 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 wounded since the fighting began on Saturday, according to UN figures, which did not include a breakdown of civilians and combatants. The Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate said on Tuesday that at least 144 civilians had been killed and more than 1,400 wounded.
The total death toll could be much higher as fighting in Khartoum has prevented the removal of bodies in some areas.
The State Department said late Monday that Blinken spoke by separate phone calls with two rival generals — armed forces chiefs of staff Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Gen. RSF Leader General Mohammad Hamdan – Best of Mohammad Hamdan.
“I have made it very clear that any attacks or threats or threats against our diplomats are completely unacceptable,” Blinken told reporters at a meeting of the Group of Seven wealthy nations in Japan on Tuesday.
He appealed for an immediate 24-hour ceasefire, as a foundation for a longer ceasefire and return to talks.
Dagalo said in a series of tweets on Tuesday that he had cleared the humanitarian crisis 24 hours after speaking with Blinken.
The army said in a statement that it was “not aware of any coordination with mediators” and that more troops would be involved in the fighting. The battle, it said, “entered the decisive phase,” and the coming hours would see a “crushing defeat” of the RSF.
Residents said more tanks and armored vehicles belonging to the army arrived in Khartoum early Tuesday, heading towards the Republican Palace, the army’s headquarters and seat of power. During the night, fighters swooped overhead and anti-aircraft fire lit up the sky.
Fighting resumed early Tuesday around each side’s main positions and strategic government buildings – all of which are in residential areas. Video from Arab TV network Al-Arabiya showed a huge explosion near the main military headquarters in central Khartoum, raising a huge cloud of smoke and dust.
Satellite images taken on Monday from Maxar Technologies showed damage including to security service buildings in Khartoum. Tanks stood guard on a bridge over the White Nile River in the Sudanese capital and elsewhere.
Satellite images taken on Monday, also from Planet Labs PBC, showed about 20 damaged civilian and military aircraft at Khartoum International Airport, which has a military section. Some were completely destroyed, one was still spewing smoke. At El Obed and Merowe air bases, north and south of Khartoum, several fighter jets were among the destroyed aircraft.
The violence has raised the specter of civil war just as the Sudanese try to revive the drive for a democratic, civilian government after decades of military rule.
Each side already has tens of thousands of troops distributed around the districts of Khartoum and the city of Omdurman, located on opposite banks of the Nile. It has brought fighting and chaos – with gunfire, artillery barrages and airstrikes – to the doorsteps of the cities’ terrified residents.
Residents have reported looting of shops and homes by fighters. A resident near Khartoum’s Arabi market area said he saw a group of armed men in RSF uniforms breaking into doors of shops in the area and stealing goods including mobile phones. The paramilitary force denied the allegations and claimed that some men disguised as RSF soldiers raided residential houses.
The attacks on diplomats’ homes were another sign of the conflict spiraling out of control.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, tweeted on Monday that the EU ambassador to Sudan was “attacked in his own residence”, without providing further details.
A Western diplomat in Cairo said the residence was ransacked by armed men in RSF uniforms. No one was hurt, but the armed men stole several items, said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The RSF denied involvement in the attack, instead blaming the military. The military blamed the RSF, made up of notorious Janjaweed fighters, in Sudan’s Darfur region for attacks on a US convoy and the home of the EU envoy.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Anneken Hutefeldt said in a statement that a shell had hit the residence of the Norwegian ambassador in Khartoum early Sunday. The hit caused damage but the ambassador was not injured, he said, adding that it did not appear the residence was an intentional target.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire and for the fighters to return to talks.
Turki said in a statement, “Sudan has already endured so much pain and suffering. The fighting is fueled by power games and personal interests, which only serve to stifle the democratic aspirations of the population.”
Only four years ago, Sudan inspired hope after a popular uprising that helped depose longtime autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir.
Burhan and Dagalo jointly staged an October 2021 coup, thwarting efforts to install a civilian government. Both generals have a long history of human rights abuses, and their military has cracked down on pro-democracy activists.
Under international pressure, Burhan and Dagalo recently agreed to a framework agreement with political parties and pro-democracy groups. But the signing was repeatedly delayed as tensions rose over the RSF’s integration into the armed forces and the future of chain of command tensions that exploded into violence on Saturday.
The attack on the convoy in Khartoum, along with an attack on the EU envoy’s residence and shelling of the Norwegian ambassador’s home, signaled a further deterioration in the fighting. Millions of Sudanese holed up in their homes in the capital and other major cities are caught in the crossfire as the two armies battle for control, each general now insisting he will crush the other.
A convoy of clearly marked US embassy vehicles was attacked on Monday, and preliminary reports link the attackers to the Rapid Support Force, a paramilitary group battling Sudan’s military, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters. Everyone in the convoy was safe, he said.
More than 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 wounded since the fighting began on Saturday, according to UN figures, which did not include a breakdown of civilians and combatants. The Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate said on Tuesday that at least 144 civilians had been killed and more than 1,400 wounded.
The total death toll could be much higher as fighting in Khartoum has prevented the removal of bodies in some areas.
The State Department said late Monday that Blinken spoke by separate phone calls with two rival generals — armed forces chiefs of staff Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Gen. RSF Leader General Mohammad Hamdan – Best of Mohammad Hamdan.
“I have made it very clear that any attacks or threats or threats against our diplomats are completely unacceptable,” Blinken told reporters at a meeting of the Group of Seven wealthy nations in Japan on Tuesday.
He appealed for an immediate 24-hour ceasefire, as a foundation for a longer ceasefire and return to talks.
Dagalo said in a series of tweets on Tuesday that he had cleared the humanitarian crisis 24 hours after speaking with Blinken.
The army said in a statement that it was “not aware of any coordination with mediators” and that more troops would be involved in the fighting. The battle, it said, “entered the decisive phase,” and the coming hours would see a “crushing defeat” of the RSF.
Residents said more tanks and armored vehicles belonging to the army arrived in Khartoum early Tuesday, heading towards the Republican Palace, the army’s headquarters and seat of power. During the night, fighters swooped overhead and anti-aircraft fire lit up the sky.
Fighting resumed early Tuesday around each side’s main positions and strategic government buildings – all of which are in residential areas. Video from Arab TV network Al-Arabiya showed a huge explosion near the main military headquarters in central Khartoum, raising a huge cloud of smoke and dust.
Satellite images taken on Monday from Maxar Technologies showed damage including to security service buildings in Khartoum. Tanks stood guard on a bridge over the White Nile River in the Sudanese capital and elsewhere.
Satellite images taken on Monday, also from Planet Labs PBC, showed about 20 damaged civilian and military aircraft at Khartoum International Airport, which has a military section. Some were completely destroyed, one was still spewing smoke. At El Obed and Merowe air bases, north and south of Khartoum, several fighter jets were among the destroyed aircraft.
The violence has raised the specter of civil war just as the Sudanese try to revive the drive for a democratic, civilian government after decades of military rule.
Each side already has tens of thousands of troops distributed around the districts of Khartoum and the city of Omdurman, located on opposite banks of the Nile. It has brought fighting and chaos – with gunfire, artillery barrages and airstrikes – to the doorsteps of the cities’ terrified residents.
Residents have reported looting of shops and homes by fighters. A resident near Khartoum’s Arabi market area said he saw a group of armed men in RSF uniforms breaking into doors of shops in the area and stealing goods including mobile phones. The paramilitary force denied the allegations and claimed that some men disguised as RSF soldiers raided residential houses.
The attacks on diplomats’ homes were another sign of the conflict spiraling out of control.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, tweeted on Monday that the EU ambassador to Sudan was “attacked in his own residence”, without providing further details.
A Western diplomat in Cairo said the residence was ransacked by armed men in RSF uniforms. No one was hurt, but the armed men stole several items, said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The RSF denied involvement in the attack, instead blaming the military. The military blamed the RSF, made up of notorious Janjaweed fighters, in Sudan’s Darfur region for attacks on a US convoy and the home of the EU envoy.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Anneken Hutefeldt said in a statement that a shell had hit the residence of the Norwegian ambassador in Khartoum early Sunday. The hit caused damage but the ambassador was not injured, he said, adding that it did not appear the residence was an intentional target.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire and for the fighters to return to talks.
Turki said in a statement, “Sudan has already endured so much pain and suffering. The fighting is fueled by power games and personal interests, which only serve to stifle the democratic aspirations of the population.”
Only four years ago, Sudan inspired hope after a popular uprising that helped depose longtime autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir.
Burhan and Dagalo jointly staged an October 2021 coup, thwarting efforts to install a civilian government. Both generals have a long history of human rights abuses, and their military has cracked down on pro-democracy activists.
Under international pressure, Burhan and Dagalo recently agreed to a framework agreement with political parties and pro-democracy groups. But the signing was repeatedly delayed as tensions rose over the RSF’s integration into the armed forces and the future of chain of command tensions that exploded into violence on Saturday.