Air raids, artillery fire and explosions rocked Khartoum again on Saturday as deadly fighting between the army and paramilitaries in Sudan, entering its eighth week, forced volunteers to bury 180 unidentified bodies.
After taking note of suspension talks between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces, the US-Saudi mediation, the United States said it was ready on Thursday to continue mediation. But on condition, specifies Washington, that the two camps are ” serious about a truce.
Since then, violence has increased in recent days in the capital Khartoum. The noise of the fighting echoes in the northern suburbs of Khartoum and a rain of shells fell on the south of the capital, injuring several civilians, residents told AFP on Saturday.
The army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, targeted with its planes paramilitary positions of the Rapid Support Forces (FSR) of General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, who responded with anti-aircraft battery fire, according to other inhabitants of the capital.
Since the start of the bloody war between the two rival generals on April 15, humanitarians and volunteers have, according to them, had difficulty recovering the bodies. due to security constraints “.
The Sudanese Red Crescent said in a statement on Saturday that 180 unidentified bodies were buried: 102 in southern Khartoum and 78 in Darfur.
Still no corridor has been cleared to allow the passage of humanitarian aid. A few rare cargoes were able to be sent, in particular medical aid, but they do not cover the immense needs, explains Claire Nicolet, emergency manager at MSF.
There are very few hospitals still functional in Khartoum, there is a need for emergency rooms, for surgery. Many doctors have left […] In Darfur, it is even more difficult because it is very difficult to take the road and no airport is open. Today, it’s almost completely isolated and one of our main problems is getting permission to land at El Fasher to bring in additional equipment and teams.
The conflict has already cost the lives of more than 1,800 people and created more than one and a half million displaced persons and refugees.
(With AFP)