16.04.2023
The battle for control between rival forces in Sudan has intensified. More than fifty people have been killed and hundreds wounded in fighting between the army and paramilitary forces. Major international organizations have come forward to call for an end to the escalation of the conflict.
(Deutsche Welle Chinese Website) At least 56 people have been killed and more than 600 wounded in clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for control of the country since Saturday, according to the Sudanese doctors union. .
Fighting erupted in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere over the weekend after months of tension between the two rival military factions. The military urged people to stay at home. Schools, banks and government offices were closed on Sunday. Both sides in the conflict claim they control key airports and other facilities.
UN Secretary-General Guterres called Sudanese military leader Abdel-Fattah Burhan and RSF leader Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo in a phone call, calling for an immediate cessation of violence and the resumption of dialogue.
Armed clashes broke out in Sudan’s capital Khartoum over the weekend
In April 2019, Burhan overthrew longtime ruler al-Bashir. Eighteen months later, the military and the RSF staged a second coup, upending Sudan’s transition to democracy. Disagreements between Burhan and Dagalo over the integration of RSF forces into regular army plans turned into open conflict.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Dagalo accused Burhan of surrounding RSF forces, sparking the fight. “He imposed this fight on us.” The Sudanese Armed Forces accused the RSF of being a “rebel militia” and said “there will be no negotiations or talks” until the group is disbanded.
The military said it had struck RSF positions in Khartoum with aircraft and drones. Khartoum International Airport was closed and major international airlines suspended flights to Sudan.
Isma’il Kushkush, a journalist covering the situation in Sudan, told DW that the fighting between the two armed groups was the worst feared scenario: “This is something the Sudanese hope will never happen Worst case, as they want to transition to democracy after the 2019 Sudanese revolution.”
The military used fighter jets and drones
The conflict in Sudan has attracted widespread international attention. In addition to UN Secretary-General Guterres directly addressing the two parties to the conflict, the European Union, the Arab League and the African Union also called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
EU Foreign Policy High Representative Burelli, African Union Commission Chairman Mahamat, and Arab League Secretary-General Gheit called for a ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table. The Arab League also held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the situation in Sudan.
The Saudi foreign ministry said the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States had stressed the importance of halting the military escalation. Britain has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the conflict in Sudan on Monday.
China also expressed concern about the situation in Sudan, urging both sides to cease fire and prevent further escalation in a statement from its embassy in Sudan. The embassy appeals to Chinese citizens currently in Sudan to pay attention to safety.
(AP, DPA, AFP)
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