Sudan: Deadly clashes as power struggle grips country
Deadly clashes have broken out in Sudan, resulting in nearly 100 people being killed and…
Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
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Deadly clashes have broken out in Sudan, resulting in nearly 100 people being killed and many more injured according to the latest reports. As a power struggle engulfs the country, hospitals are running out of important supplies to treat the wounded.
The violence started between two military groupings, one loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s transitional governing Sovereign Council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who is deputy head of the council. This is the first time there has been fighting between these two groups since they worked together to remove Sudan’s former leader in 2019. The clashes stem from a disagreement on how to combine the paramilitary group with the military to create a civilian-led government, which would be charged with solving Sudan’s political and economic crisis.
Ceasefire
A United Nations-proposed ceasefire was agreed upon by Burhan and Hemedti, which was supposed to last for three hours to allow for humanitarian evacuations. However, the deal was largely ignored after a brief period of calm.
According to the doctors’ trade union, fighting since Saturday has resulted in at least 97 civilian deaths and 365 others injured. The UN’s World Food Programme has suspended operations in Sudan after three of its employees were killed in clashes in Darfur. Fighting has also been reported in Kassala, an eastern border state of Sudan.
Heavy fighting
On Sunday, heavy fighting broke out around Khartoum international airport and the military headquarters. The army launched airstrikes on bases belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Omdurman, on the other side of the Nile River from Khartoum.
The army reported ongoing clashes around the military headquarters in central Khartoum.
In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur and the second-largest city in Sudan, citizens were forced to flee due to heavy fighting between the two groups.
Mediation
On Sunday, Egypt offered to help resolve the conflict in Sudan, while a regional African organization, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, planned to send the presidents of Kenya, South Sudan, and Djibouti to mediate between the warring factions. The conflict between the two main factions of Sudan’s military government has raised concerns about regional instability and competition for power among major global powers.
The ongoing violence in Sudan poses a threat to not just the country but also the surrounding region. Major world powers, including the US, EU, Russia, and Gulf nations, are involved in a battle for influence in the area. The situation has long been a concern and could lead to further destabilization.
