Conflict in Sudan continues for the third day, 97 civilians killed

Khartoum. Fighting between the country’s army and a powerful paramilitary force over control of Sudan continued for a third straight day on Monday, leaving 97 civilians dead in the last two days. Airstrikes and shelling intensified in the country’s capital Khartoum and its neighboring city of Omdurman. Fierce and continuous gunfire was heard near the army headquarters. People reported incidents of power failure and looting in their homes. The Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate, a pro-democracy group tracking casualties in the conflict, said on Monday that 97 civilians had been killed and hundreds more wounded since the fighting began on Saturday. The clash comes after months of tension between the country’s military and its former partner and now rival Rapid Support Force group (RSF).

In a statement, the army, led by Abdul Fatah al-Burhan, ruled out talks with the RSF and called for its disbandment, calling it a “rebel militia”. Meanwhile, the paramilitary group ‘RSF’ has described the chief of the armed forces as a ‘criminal’. There was a coup in the country in the year 2021 and now there are indications that the conflict between the two may continue. The tension stems from a failure to reach an agreement with the RSF, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, over integration into the armed forces. UN envoy to Sudan Volker Perthes said Burhan and Dagalo agreed to a three-hour ceasefire on Sunday afternoon on humanitarian grounds, but violence continued in the capital, Khartoum.

Residents reported that they heard loud explosions, gunfire and airstrikes on RSF positions during the night. The clashes come as Sudanese people prepare for a holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Clashes have also been reported around Khartoum International Airport and the state television headquarters. Clashes with RSF fighters began earlier in the day near the military headquarters, a senior military official said. Satellite images showed clouds of black smoke in the sky above the capital’s airport. ‘The Associated Press’ has analyzed these pictures. Images from Maxar Technologies showed two large planes on fire and four others damaged.

Airlines have suspended flights to the Sudanese capital. The army and the RSF claimed to be in control of Khartoum and other key locations, but their claims could not be independently verified. Khalid Omar, a spokesman for the pro-democracy bloc who held talks with the two generals in recent months, warned that the conflict could lead to war and the country’s collapse. Meanwhile, diplomatic pressure is mounting on Sudan to end the violence. Top diplomats including the US secretary of state, the UN secretary-general, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, the head of the Arab League and the head of the African Union Commission called on both sides to end the fighting.

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