Fighting began in Sudan since Saturday between the government army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. At least dozens of civilians were killed. Reuters reported, citing eyewitnesses, that the Sudanese army launched air strikes on a base belonging to the Rapid Support Forces on Sunday night. In Khartoum state, Sunday was declared a day off and schools, banks and government offices were closed.
The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said Sunday morning that 56 civilians have been killed and 595 wounded in fighting between the government army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan since Saturday.
The number of soldiers and paramilitary fighters killed in the clashes is not known, but Sudanese doctors say “dozens of dead”.
Smoke over the hoseAFP/EastNews
Reuters reported, citing eyewitnesses, that the Sudanese army launched air strikes on a base of the Rapid Support Forces in Omdurman, the country’s largest city, on Saturday night. The sounds of fighting were heard again on Sunday morning in many places in Sudan. In the capital Khartoum, Omdurman and nearby Bahri, as well as in the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
Smoke rises over the hose PAP/EPA/MOHND AWAD
In Khartoum state, Sunday was declared a day off and schools, banks and government offices were closed.
A Ukrainian plane caught fire at the airport
As a result of the fighting at the airport, on Saturday, a Boeing 737 of the Ukrainian carrier SkyUp caught fire. He stated on Facebook that “at this time it is not possible to determine the condition of the aircraft and the possible damage.” Sky Up said: “The 36 staff who are currently in Sudan remain in a relatively safe place and are in contact with them.” The company explains that SkyUp’s planes are based in Sudan under an agreement with local airline Sun Air.
Rivalry between generals
The armed clashes in Sudan are the result of a rivalry that has been hidden for weeks between two generals – the de facto commander of the army in the country, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”.
Read more about conflict extraction in Sudan
During the coup in October 2021, the two leaders formed a joint front to “protect the civilian population from the authorities”. However, as time went on, Hemeti denounced the coup, and sided with the civilians, which brought him into conflict with Burhan. The disagreement between the two most important generals of this African country made it impossible to resolve the internal political crisis.
As part of the changes proposed by the government, the RSF was to be integrated into the regular armed forces, but the generals could not agree on the date on which that should happen, and the conflict turned into an armed conflict.
Clashes in Khartoum Omer Erdem/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The United States, Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said on Saturday that he had consulted with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and during these talks it was agreed that an immediate end to hostilities should be carried out without any preconditions.
Main image source: AFP/EastNews
