At least 200 killed, 1800 wounded in Sudan clashes – UN
GOOBJOOG NEWS | KHARTOUM: At least 200 people have been killed and 1800 more wounded in the ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF paramilitary fighters that broke out on Saturday last week.
The intense fighting that has now entered its third day has damaged hospitals in the capital city Khartoum and hampered distribution of humanitarian aid
Power struggles between the forces of two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup; Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) exploded into deadly clashes Saturday.
Reports indicate that fighting in the capital is unprecedented and could be prolonged, despite regional and global calls for a ceasefire as diplomats mobilise.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday he had spoken with the two generals and “underscored the urgent need for a ceasefire”.
Blinken made his calls while in Japan for a meeting of G7 foreign ministers, who also urged the warring sides to “end hostilities immediately” and “ensure the safety of all civilians”.
The European Union’s ambassador to Sudan was attacked in his home in Khartoum on Monday, the bloc’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said. A spokesperson told journalists the veteran diplomat was “OK” following the assault.
Battles have taken place throughout the vast country and there are fears of regional spill-over.
Terrified residents of the capital are spending the last and holiest days of Ramadan watching from their windows as tanks roll through the streets, buildings shake and smoke from fires triggered by the fighting hangs in the air.
Earlier Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Sudan’s warring parties to “immediately cease hostilities”. He warned that further escalation “could be devastating for the country and the region”.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) have warned that several Khartoum hospitals tending to wounded civilians “have run out of blood, transfusion equipment, intravenous fluids and other vital supplies”.
In the western region of Darfur, international medical aid organisation Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported receiving 136 wounded patients at the only hospital in El Fasher still operating in North Darfur state.
“The majority of the wounded are civilians who were caught in the crossfire — among them are many children,” MSF’s Cyrus Paye said.
Due to limited surgical capacity, “11 people died from their injuries in the first 48 hours of the conflict”.
A number of organisations have temporarily suspended operations in the country, where one-third of the population needs aid.
- Additional reporting by agencies