More than 180 dead and 1,800 wounded, in three days, in Sudan, this is the balance sheet indicated, this Monday, April 17, by the head of the UN mission in Sudan, Volker Perthes, following the fighting between the two rival generals vying for power. Fighting continues between the Sudanese armed forces led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces, whose boss is General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, known as “Hemedti”
With our special correspondent in Khartoum, Elliott Brachet
This Monday again, the clashes did not stop in Khartoum and across the country. Artillery fire, heavy weapons and airstrikes are now the daily life of the inhabitants of Khartoum.
The city is under siege, besieged by its own armed forces, its own generals who until recently sat in the burning palaces in the heart of the city.
The humanitarian situation is catastrophic. Two hospitals were evacuated after being riddled with bullets and hit by rockets. Everything is missing: water, food and electricity is cut off. But the two armies are stubborn and ignore the multiple calls for de-escalation.
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According to several witnesses, the regular forces sent many reinforcements to Khartoum on Monday evening. It is still impossible to know which force controls what in the capital.
General al-Burhan on Monday ordered the dissolution of the Rapid Support Forces, now considered an armed rebellion. For his part, General Hemedti, speaking in English on Twitter, called on the international community to support him against his rival whom he describes as a “radical Islamist who bombs civilians from the air. »
Worrying situation in Darfur
Beyond Khartoum, the news coming out of Darfur is worrying. They report numerous civilian casualties and incessant looting.The FSR rely on local armed militias which increase the number of abuses. And for months, the Rapid and Armed Support Forces have been recruiting massively there, especially among young people from Arab tribes.
Several large cities are now affected, such as Nyala, in the south. According to several sources, the paramilitaries attacked the headquarters of the 16th infantry division before taking control of it, as well as that of the airport. On Monday, fighting continued around the city center and northern neighborhoods. Several sources confirm the looting of several ministries, customs and humanitarian organizations.
Violence also in the North. A resident of El Fasher speaks of continuous clashes since Saturday around the military base and the market. “The situation is dire. We haven’t had any food for two days. My brothers went to get food. They haven’t come back for 3 hours. We are very worried, ”says a student.
The Rapid Support Forces claimed control of West Darfur. Since Saturday, the violence has also spread to Zalingei, in the center. Many NGOs have paid the price. “ We have suspended our activities. This is all the more worrying as Darfur is fragile, with an escalation of violence for three years “, explains Karl Schembri, of the Norwegian Refugee Council. According to the latest figures, one in three people needs humanitarian aid in Darfur. ” We want to get back to business soon. But if the fighting continues, we will have to assess the situation city by city and negotiate with the different actors. says Karl Schembri.
So far, nothing seems to be able to stop the spiral of violence. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier today called on the two generals to ” cease hostilities immediately. » The UN Security Council, which also called for an end to the fighting on Sunday, is due to discuss the situation on Monday at a closed meeting.
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