The fierce fight between Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces entered the third week on Sunday, as two top generals jostled to take control of the country.
More than 500 people have been killed since battles erupted on April 15 between the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), AFP news agency reports.
In Khartoum, which houses around five million people, gunfire and artillery fire continued to persist as thousands of residents tried to flee the capital city due to massive shortages of food, water, and electricity.
The situation was no different in other parts of the country where thousands of people have been uprooted from their place and forced to go on arduous trips to neighbouring Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and Ethiopia to flee the battles.
According to the United Nations (UN), more than 50,000 Sudanese refugees — mostly women and children — have crossed over to Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, amidst fears of regional instability.
Whereas around 75,000 have been displaced by the fighting in Khartoum and the states of Blue Nile, North Kordofan, as well as the western region of Darfur, the UN said.
Sudan violence enters third week, UN says country “Falling apart”
Ethnic fighting and turmoil have scarred South Sudan and the Central African Republic for years while a 2021 coup has derailed Chad’s own democratic transition.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rued over the continued violence.
“There is no right to go on fighting for power when the country is falling apart,” Antonio Guterres told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television.
Despite agreeing to multiple truces, both forces have remained steadfast in their resolve even as civilian casualties continued to mount.
The recent three-day ceasefire —due to expire at midnight (2200 GMT) Sunday —was agreed on Thursday after it was brokered by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the United Nations.
UN chief Guterres called for African-led mediation efforts for an ever-lasting peace in the conflict-torn country.
“My appeal is for everything to be done to support an African-led initiative for peace in Sudan,” he told Al Arabiya.
The fighting has also triggered a mass exodus of foreigners and international staff.
Britons blocked from boarding rescue flights
According to the Guardian newspaper, thousands of British nations are stranded Sudan after they were prevented by the country’s armed forces to reach the last rescue flights out of the war-torn country on Saturday.
It was announced that 1,888 people on 21 flights have been evacuated from Sudan – the vast majority of them British nationals and their dependants – but the last flight was yet to leave despite being scheduled to depart at 6pm.
The Conservative chair of the foreign affairs select committee, Alicia Kearns, told the newspaper that she had received information that elements of the Sudanese Armed Forces had blocked British nationals as they attempted to navigate the treacherous route to an airbase north of Khartoum.
(With inputs from agencies)
