Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Sudan Conflict Continues into Second Week with Ongoing Fighting

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The ongoing power struggle between Sudan’s army and paramilitary group RSF has resulted in over 400 deaths since last Saturday. The conflict has caused chaos in the country, with foreign expatriates preparing to flee via military escort. The Sudanese army has coordinated efforts to evacuate diplomats from the United States, Britain, China, and France out of the country on military aeroplanes. Diplomats and their families from Saudi Arabia have already left Sudan, while Jordanian nationals are set to leave later. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has spoken to leaders requesting safe evacuations of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan, which has been roiled by bloody fighting for the past week.

Countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens amid deadly clashes that have killed more than 400 people so far. With Sudan’s main international airport closed, foreign countries have ordered their citizens to simply shelter in place until they can figure out evacuation plans. Al-Burhan said diplomats from Saudi Arabia had already been evacuated from Port Sudan and airlifted back to the kingdom. He said Jordan’s diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way.

Fighting in Sudan’s capital entered a second week on Saturday as crackling gunfire shattered a temporary truce. Al-Burhan’s army has fought the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed “Hemdti” Hamdan Dagalo. Heavy gunfire, loud explosions, and fighter jets roared in many parts of Khartoum early Saturday as terrified civilians hunkered down in their homes. Witnesses were reporting a major battle in north Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF fighters involving artillery and small-arms fire.

Meanwhile, many civilians report basic supplies such as water and food are running out after seven days of war. The violence was triggered by disagreement over an internationally backed plan to form a new civilian government four years after the fall of authoritarian leader Omar al-Bashir and two years after a military coup. Both sides accuse the other of thwarting the transition.

RSF leader Hemedti said early on Saturday he received a phone call from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The two “emphasised the necessity of adhering to a complete ceasefire and providing protection for humanitarian and medical workers, especially UN staff as well as regional and international organisations”, Hemedti said in a post on his official Facebook account. The RSF said late on Friday it was ready to partially open all of Sudan’s airports so foreign governments could evacuate their nationals.

The group said in a statement it would “cooperate, coordinate and provide all facilities that enable expatriates and missions to leave the country safely”. It was unclear to what extent the RSF controls Sudan’s airports. The Khartoum airport has been caught in the fighting with aircraft burning on the tarmac, and commercial airlines halted flights several days ago.

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