UN warns of humanitarian catastrophe over Sudan conflict

GOOBJOOG NEWS | KHARTOUM: The ongoing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) risks causing a humanitarian catastrophe which could spill to neighboring countries, UN officials have said.

Humanitarian officials in Khartoum on Tuesday announced that at least 550 people have been killed in the violence and that another 4926 injured.

On Thursday, local media reported that fierce fighting was heard as the army tried to push back the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from areas around the presidential palace and army headquarters, with the latest ceasefire appearing elusive.

Each side appears to be battling for control of territory in the capital ahead of any possible negotiations, though the leaders of both factions have shown little public willingness to hold talks after more than two weeks of fighting.

Heavy bombardments also rang out in the adjoining cities of Omdurman and Bahri. Both sides had agreed to a seven-day ceasefire, which has been violated.

“Since yesterday evening, and this morning, there are air strikes and the sounds of clashes,” said Al-Sadiq Ahmed, a 49-year-old engineer speaking from Khartoum.

“We’ve got into a state of permanent terror because the battles are around the centres of residential neighbourhoods. We don’t know when this nightmare and the fear will end.”

Thousands trapped

Thousands of civilians who are still trapped in the conflict face shortage of basic needs as fighting continues in residential neighborhoods, making it difficult for the citizens to access basic commodities.

United Nations Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief coordinator Martin Griffiths said most hospitals are out of service due to lack of water and power at a time when UN’s World Food Program (WFP) says its six trucks which were travelling to the Darfur region were attacked and looted – despite assurance by the two warring sides that humanitarian personnel and vehicles will not be attacked.

Griffiths said he had held a phone conversation with Sudan Army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commonly known as Hemedti, on Wednesday to tell them that specific aid corridors and airlift operations were required.

“We are very clear now in our operational requirements as to what we need in terms of commitments from them,” he said.

Face-to-face talks

Griffiths added that he hoped to have face-to-face meetings with Sudan’s warring parties within two to three days to secure guarantees from them for aid convoys to deliver relief supplies.

“It’s important to me that we meet physically, face-to-face to discuss this, because we need it to be a public, accountable moment,” he said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the international community must tell the two leaders the situation is unacceptable and that the two generals must face pressure to stop fighting, begin dialogue and allow a transition to civilian government, he said.

About 100,000 people have fled Sudan with little food or water to neighboring countries, the UN says.

Those fleeing the fighting include Sudanese refugees as well as people who were themselves refugees in Sudan.

The conflict has spread to Darfur where the RSF emerged from tribal militias that fought beside government forces to crush rebels in a war dating back 20 years.

The army and RSF joined forces in a coup two years ago and had shared power as part of an internationally backed transition towards free elections and civilian rule.

By Fauxile Kibet