WAD MADANI: The protracted civil war in Sudan entered its ninth month as clashes erupted between Sudan’s army and paramilitaries on the outskirts of Wad Madani, compelling already displaced families to flee again, AFP reported on Friday.
The Sudanese army reportedly blocked civilians from entering Wad Madani, a city located 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of Khartoum, which had initially become a refuge when conflict broke out on April 15 between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
According to reports, fighter jets overhead, accompanied by billowing clouds of black smoke and audible blasts from the city’s northern outskirts. Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazira state, had been a sanctuary for approximately half a million displaced individuals, as per United Nations figures.
Despite being spared initially, the agricultural state has witnessed encroachments by fighters in recent months, with troops mobilizing and checkpoints established along the line of villages between Khartoum and Wad Madani.
Sudan Civil War Kills Over 12,190
The ongoing conflict between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has resulted in the deaths of over 12,190 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. UN figures indicate that over 5.4 million people are internally displaced, with an additional 1.5 million seeking refuge across borders.
In a distressing echo of the early days of the conflict in Khartoum, shops and businesses in Wad Madani were swiftly boarded shut on Friday as families took to the streets, carrying whatever belongings they could manage and struggling to secure transportation south.
A statement from the Rapid Support Forces attempted to reassure citizens in Al Jazira and Wad Madani, asserting that their forces aimed to “destroy the strongholds” of the army.
