KHARTOUM: Amidst intensified fighting in Sudan, the capital city of Khartoum witnessed artillery fire, air strikes, and gun battles on Saturday, according to witnesses interviewed by AFP. Relief efforts have stalled due to more than two months of clashes between rival generals, leaving families in Khartoum with dwindling supplies in the scorching summer heat.
The United Nations (UN) has urgently called for an end to the “wanton killings” that have resulted in decomposing bodies in the Darfur region.
Since violence erupted in mid-April, nearly 1.5 million people have fled the capital, as clashes between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) persist. Entire districts in Khartoum now face water shortages, and residents have been without electricity since Thursday.
The power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has claimed over 2,000 lives, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The most severe violence has unfolded in Darfur, a vast region on the Chad border, where the UN has raised concerns about possible crimes against humanity and noted an “ethnic dimension” to the conflict.
Reports from the South Darfur state capital, Nyala, describe residents caught in the crossfire, with battles, shelling, and artillery strikes. A medic, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that civilians had been killed, and the wounded were arriving at hospitals. The UN has urged immediate action to halt the killings of people fleeing El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, by militant groups aided by the paramilitaries.
Witnesses stated that they had witnessed “summary executions” and the deliberate targeting of civilians along the road from El Geneina to the border between June 15 and 16. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that two-thirds of health facilities in the main conflict areas are out of service, with hospitals facing severe shortages of medical supplies and struggling to obtain fuel for generators.
The UN estimates that over 25 million people, more than half of Sudan’s population, require aid and protection. While aid has reached around 2.8 million individuals, numerous obstacles hinder the work of humanitarian agencies, ranging from visa issues for foreign aid workers to securing safe corridors.
Sudan’s Army Reluctant to Allow Aid
The International Crisis Group (ICG) has observed that the Sudanese army is reluctant to allow aid into the capital, fearing it may end up in the hands of the RSF, which could prolong the conflict. The United States, along with Saudi Arabia, had been mediating between the warring factions and working to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. However, their efforts are currently on hold as both sides attempt to use humanitarian talks for their tactical advantage.
The ongoing violence in Sudan and the lack of willingness from either side to de-escalate the situation increase the risk of prolonged conflict with regional implications. Over 150,000 individuals have fled Darfur, seeking refuge in neighboring Chad, which is already hosting over 680,000 refugees. Chad’s Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo has appealed for substantial financial and technical support to address this “unprecedented migratory crisis.”
The RSF, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, originated from the Janjaweed militias deployed by former President Omar al-Bashir in response to a rebellion by ethnic minorities in Darfur in 2003, resulting in accusations of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The International Crisis Group has cautioned that a collapsed Sudan could become a haven for transnational militants, mercenaries, and traffickers, posing long-term challenges to the country’s neighbors.
Against this backdrop of devastation, Maha Abdullah, a tearful Sudanese housewife who managed to reach Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage, sees divine intervention as the only solution. “It needs God’s intervention to change things,” she lamented. – AFP
