The battles in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, intensified by the start of the 21-day military-paramilitary conflict
KHARTOUM, Sudan — The Sudanese military and a powerful paramilitary group battled for control of the chaos-stricken nation for a second day Sunday, signaling they were unwilling to end hostilities despite mounting diplomatic pressure to cease fire.
A doctors’ group said at least 56 civilians were killed and that it believed there were dozens of additional deaths among the rival forces. The Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate said close to 600 people were wounded, including civilians and fighters.
The pair had worked together to topple ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, and played a pivotal role in the military coup in 2021, which ended a power-sharing agreement between the military and civilian groups.
A Sudanese journalist, Fathi Al-Ardi, wrote on Facebook that residents of the Kafouri area north of Sudan’s capital started to evacuate women and children due to street fights at dawn Monday. The walls of the houses shook from the explosions in the Kalakla area.
“The battles have not stopped,” she said from her family home close to the military headquarters. “They are shooting against each other in the streets. It’s all-out war in residential areas.
Abass said her family spent the night huddling on the ground floor of their home. She said the kids were screaming and crying with every explosion, as no one was able to sleep. Sounds of gunfire were heard while she was speaking to The Associated Press.
Thousands of protesters have been killed in Sudan’s civil war: a U.N. Security Council pleads against the emergence of the RSF
The military and the RSF claimed to be in control of strategic locations in the county. They couldn’t be verified.
Sources in Sudan’s civilian movement and Sudanese military sources told CNN the main points of contention included the timeline for the merger of the forces, the status given to RSF officers in the future hierarchy, and whether RSF forces should be under the command of the army chief, rather than Sudan’s commander-in-chief, who is currently Burhan.
The U.N. secretary-general, the head of the Arab League and the head of the African Union Commission have all spoken out against the fighting. Members of the U.N. Security Council, at odds over other crises around the world, called for an immediate end of the hostilities and a return to dialogue.
Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken consulted during their recent trip to the Middle East. “We agreed it was essential for the parties to immediately end hostilities without pre-condition,” he said in a statement early Sunday.
Over 120 protesters were killed in June of last year when a protest camp outside Sudan’s military headquarters was broken up by the police, and pro-democracy activists are blaming the culprits for abuses against protesters over the past four years. Many groups say they should be held accountable. The RSF had been accused of atrocities during the conflict in Sudan.
The sound of warplanes bombarding the capital of Sudan as fighting continued for a third day left more than 100 dead and hundreds more injured.
Residents in neighborhoods east of the airport told CNN they saw warplanes bombing sites east of the command. One witness said that they saw explosions and smoke coming from Obaid Khatim Street and that anti-aircraft cannon fired towards the planes.
The crisis in Sudan, as reported by the WHO, is unfolding with the aid of an intl-Hnk-managed medical facility
The WHO said hospitals were suffering shortages of specialized medical personnel, including anesthesiologists. “Water and power cuts are affecting the functionality of health facilities, and shortages of fuel for hospital generators are also being reported,” the WHO said on Sunday.
He speculated that the army chief and his rival, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had lost control of the military. He said he had no desire to rule Sudan, and that there should be a civilian government.
Civilians have been warned to stay indoors. They were trapped inside their own homes with little to no protection at all.
The only thing we can hear is a loud blast. What exactly is happening and where we don’t know, but it feels like it’s directly over our heads,” they wrote.
Access to information is also limited, with the government-owned national TV channel now off the air. Television employees told CNN that it is in the hands of the RSF.
The World Food Program halted operations in Sudan after three employees were killed in the conflict, causing other countries and organizations to be on high alert.
The UN and other humanitarian facilities in the area have been looted and an WFP-managed aircraft was damaged by gunfire in Khartoum, according to the international aid agency.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/17/africa/sudan-fighting-evacuation-suspension-intl-hnk/index.html
The war in Sudan: demands for a return to the civilian-led regime, and the U.S. urges the return of democracy
Meanwhile, Mexico is working to evacuate its citizens from Sudan, with the country’s foreign minister saying Sunday it is looking to “expedite” their exit.
The United States embassy in Sudan said Sunday there were no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation yet for Americans in the country, citing the closure of the Khartoum airport. It advised US citizens to stay indoors and shelter in place, adding that it would make an announcement “if evacuation of private US citizens becomes necessary.”
The fresh clashes have prompted widespread calls for peace and negotiations. The head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, is scheduled to arrive in Khartoum on Monday, in an attempt to stop the fighting.
People in Sudan want democracy, a civilian-led government, and the military back in the barracks. Sudan needs to return to that path,” Blinken said, speaking on the sidelines of the G7 foreign minister talks in Japan on Monday.
The UN’s political mission in Sudan has said the country’s two warring factions have agreed to a “proposal” although it is not yet clear what that entails.