Sudan crisis: Clashes between RSF, army leave 56 dead on second day
The deadly fighting between the Sudan army and paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) entered its second day leaving at least 56 people dead with nearly 600 others injured, Al Jazeera reported Sunday.
An eyewitness in Sudan’s capital Khartoum told CNN that loud noises and explosions were heard throughout the night and fighting intensified after Sunday morning prayers. Several incidents of battles have also been reported hundreds of miles away in the eastern city of Port Sudan.
Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said that 56 people have been killed and nearly 600 injured in the clashes that come after the tensions soared between the two rival entities — each accusing the other of attacking first.
Witnesses told AFP that there have been loud explosions and intense gunfire in the capital Khartoum’s densely-populated northern and southern suburbs with tanks rumbling on the streets and fighter jets roaring overhead.
The paramilitary chief of Sudan Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said the group has seized most of Khartoum’s official sites after the clashes started on Saturday.
Dagalo, in an interview with Sky News Arabia, was quoted as saying: “The Rapid Support Forces [RSF] control more than 90% of strategic sites in Khartoum.”
However, the claim was challenged by Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who said, the military has maintained control over government sites.
This photo shows Sudans Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan speaking following the signing of an initial deal aimed at ending a deep crisis caused by last years military coup, in Khartoum. — AFP/File
This photo shows Sudan’s Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan speaking following the signing of an initial deal aimed at ending a deep crisis caused by last year’s military coup, in Khartoum. — AFP/File
During an interview with Al Jazeera, Dagalo — also known as Hemedti – termed General Burhan a “criminal”, and alleged that he was the one who ignited the clashes a day earlier.
The army, on the other hand, claimed that RSF is carrying out “traitorous plotting against the country”.
The military noted in a statement that there will be no negotiation or dialogue before dissolving Dagalo’s rebel militia. It also issued a wanted poster for Dagalo, calling him a “fugitive criminal”.
In a statement, the General Command of the Sudanese Army told civilians to remain indoors as warplanes will be conducting a search to hunt for RSF members.
“The Sudanese Air Force will conduct a complete sweep of the rebel Rapid Support militia’s presence. The Air Force [is] calling on all citizens to stay inside their houses and not to go out,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, Khartoum’s State Security Committee announced a public holiday in the capital.
The African Union (AU) urged the political and military parties to find a “fair political solution” to the crisis.
Sudan has been under military control since 2021 with Burhan and Dagalo in the corridors of power.
The RSF came into being from the Janjaweed militia — launched by the then-president Omar al-Bashir against non-Arab ethnic minorities in the western Darfur region a decade earlier.
The Dagalo-led militia’s planned integration into the regular army was a key element of talks to finalise a deal that would return the country to civilian rule and end the politico-economic crisis sparked by the military’s 2021 coup.
The international community, including Russia, the US and the European Union, has called for ceasing violence in the country for the safety and security of civilians.
The Arab League, following a request by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, is to meet Sunday to discuss the situation.
The coup of October 2021 forced the international community to cut aid to Sudan, sparking protests. It also deteriorated the economic condition of the country, further crippling one of the world’s poorest countries.