KHARTOUM: Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, and the troubled Darfur region have experienced a surge in clashes, artillery fire, and air strikes, with the ongoing war between rival military factions entering its 11th week. The protracted conflict has resulted in the displacement of 2.5 million people and has caused a severe humanitarian crisis.
Witnesses have reported a significant escalation in violence in Nyala, the largest city in western Darfur, in recent days. The United Nations sounded the alarm on Saturday over targeted attacks on ethnic groups, particularly the killing of individuals from the Masalit community in El Geneina, located in West Darfur.
Khartoum, the capital city, and El Geneina have borne the brunt of the war, which erupted on April 15 between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). However, tensions and clashes have intensified in other parts of Darfur and in Kordofan in the south throughout the past week.
The fighting has grown more intense since a series of cease-fire agreements, brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, failed to hold. The talks, which adjourned last week, aimed to bring an end to the conflict.
Humanitarian Aid Amid Air Strikes and Heavy Artillery in Sudan
Residents in Khartoum, which consists of the three cities of Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman, have reported fierce clashes beginning on Saturday evening and continuing into Sunday morning. Sudan’s army, led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, has utilized air strikes and heavy artillery in attempts to dislodge the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, from various neighborhoods across the capital.
Mohamed Al-Samani, a 47-year-old resident of north Omdurman, stated, “Since the early morning, we’ve had air strikes and artillery bombardment, as well as RSF anti-aircraft fire. Where are the Jeddah talks? Why did the world leave us to die alone in Burhan and Hemedti’s war?”
In Nyala, a city that experienced rapid population growth due to previous conflicts in Darfur since 2003, witnesses have observed a marked deterioration in the security situation over the past few days, with violent clashes occurring in residential areas.
Last week, clashes between the army and the RSF also erupted around El Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, making it inaccessible to humanitarian workers, according to the UN.
El Geneina, which has been cut off from communication networks and aid supplies, has witnessed attacks by the RSF, leading tens of thousands to flee across the border to Chad.
On Saturday, the UN Human Rights spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani, called for safe passage for those escaping El Geneina and urged access for aid workers. Reports have emerged of summary executions along the route between the city and the border, along with instances of “persistent hate speech” including calls to kill the Masalit community or expel its members.
The conflict in Sudan has resulted in the displacement of nearly 2 million people internally and forced almost 600,000 to seek refuge in neighboring countries, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.
