Air Strikes Kill Civilians in Sudanese Capital as War Enters Third Month
The Sudanese capital of Khartoum has been hit by air strikes that have killed civilians and destroyed homes, according to residents. The attacks are part of a conflict between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has been ongoing for three months. Neither side has gained a clear advantage, and the war has displaced 2.2 million Sudanese and killed hundreds. The United Nations has described the situation in the Darfur region as a “humanitarian calamity.” The army has air power in Khartoum and its neighboring cities, while the RSF has embedded itself in residential neighborhoods.
Army Ramps Up Air Strikes
On Friday and Saturday, the army appeared to increase its air strikes, hitting several residential neighborhoods. Top general Yassir Al-Atta warned people to stay away from homes occupied by the RSF, saying that “we will attack them anywhere.” The Khartoum health ministry confirmed that 17 people, including five children, were killed in southern Khartoum, and 25 homes were destroyed. Late on Friday, the local resistance committee said 13 people had been killed by shelling in western Khartoum.
RSF Claims Downing of Army Warplane
The RSF claimed on Saturday that it had brought down an army warplane in the Nile, west of Khartoum. Air strikes continued in central and southern Omdurman, impacting homes and killing one person, according to the local committee in the Beit Al-Mal neighborhood. Residents said three members of a family were killed in the Sharq el-Nil district after an air strike on Friday. In El-Geneina, in West Darfur, more than 270,000 people have fled across the border to Chad after more than 1,000 were killed by attacks that residents and the United States have blamed on the RSF and allied militias.
Conflict Causes Humanitarian Crisis
The war has cut off millions of people in Khartoum from electricity, water, and access to healthcare. Residents have had to ration food, and there have been reports of widespread looting. Talks in Jeddah, which US and Saudi Arabian mediators had threatened to adjourn, were now addressing a possible new three-day cease-fire, as well as a five-day cease-fire during the upcoming Eid holiday, two sources said. A series of cease-fires have failed to bring about a complete end to fighting or facilitate humanitarian access.
Conclusion
The conflict in Sudan has caused a humanitarian crisis, with millions of people cut off from basic necessities such as electricity, water, and healthcare. The war has displaced 2.2 million people and killed hundreds. Air strikes on residential neighborhoods have killed civilians and destroyed homes, while the RSF has been blamed for attacks that have caused more than 1,000 deaths in West Darfur. Talks are ongoing to try to establish a new cease-fire, but previous attempts have failed to bring about an end to the fighting or facilitate humanitarian access.