KHARTOUM: Raging urban battles in Sudan have left more than 50 civilians dead, including three UN staff, and sparked an international outcry.
The violence erupted early on Saturday after several days of power struggles between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and deputy army chief Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Each accused the other side of starting the fight.
The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors stated they had recorded 56 civilian deaths as well as “tens of deaths” among security forces, and nearly 600 wounded. The World Food Programme (WFP) suspended its operations in the impoverished country after the killing of the three workers.
On late Sunday afternoon, the army announced that they had agreed to a UN proposal to create a safe passage for humanitarian cases, allowing the evacuation of wounded individuals for three hours from 1400 GMT.
RSF also issued a separate statement, stating that they had agreed to the measure, but indicated that it would last four hours, and both sides asserted their right to respond in the event of any violations from the other side. However, one hour into the agreed-upon pause, heavy gunfire could still be heard in the central Khartoum region near the airport.
The military reported that a building had caught fire during the clashes but had been contained. Medical professionals had requested safe corridors for ambulances and a ceasefire to treat the victims, warning that the streets were too dangerous to bring many casualties to hospitals.
Fighting spreads in other regions of Sudan
Additionally, fighting had broken out outside Khartoum city, including in the eastern border state of Kassala and in the western Darfur region, where the army fired artillery at a paramilitary camp, according to witness Hussein Saleh.
On Saturday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had cautioned that an escalation in the fighting would exacerbate the already precarious humanitarian situation in Sudan, with one-third of the population requiring humanitarian aid.
Numerous world leaders, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the African Union, Britain, China, the European Union, Russia, and Pope Francis, have called for an end to the violence, expressing concerns about the safety and security of Sudanese civilians.
Emergency meetings of the African Union and the Arab League have been called in response to the conflict, with Egypt and Saudi Arabia requesting the latter. The two generals, Burhan and Daglo, do not appear to be interested in negotiating.
In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Daglo, also known as Hemeti, stated that “Burhan the criminal must surrender.” The army, on the other hand, has labelled Daglo a “wanted criminal” and the RSF a “rebel militia,” declaring that there will be no negotiations or talks until the group is dissolved.
The latest violence, which occurred during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, has resulted in over 120 civilian deaths in the past 18 months, with the October 2021 coup resulting in reduced international aid and near-weekly protests.
