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News / Sudan

Fighting rages in Sudan; death toll grows despite truce

Wednesday, 19 April 2023 10:31 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 19 April 2023 10:37 AM ]

People flee from southern Khartoum on April 18, 2023, as fighting between the army and paramilitary forces rages, despite growing international calls for an end to hostilities. (Photo by AFP)

Fighting continues between rival military factions in Sudan for a fifth day as a 24-hour ceasefire breaks down and the death toll rises to at least 270.

Gunfire and explosions were heard on Wednesday in central Khartoum near the defense ministry compound and the airport, which has been fiercely contested between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The warring sides had agreed to the 24-hour truce, which was expected to take effect at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) on Tuesday.

However, the ceasefire shattered, dashing the hopes of trapped Khartoum residents to obtain desperately needed relief and supplies.

The army, led by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, headed by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as “Hemedti,” accused each other of violating the truce.

“The RSF didn’t even give the ceasefire a chance to take effect,” said Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah, spokesman for the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Ruling council in conflict-hit Sudan declares RSF 'rebels', orders its dissolution

Sudan

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said at least 270 people have been killed and more than 2,600 wounded since the conflict broke out on Saturday.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation in Sudan as “deeply concerning,” adding that the supplies that the UN agency had distributed to health facilities “are now exhausted,” with Khartoum hospitals “reporting shortages of medical personnel and lifesaving medical supplies.”

.@WHO condemns attacks on health care in #Sudan, which deprive communities of essential & urgently needed care to save lives.
We urge all parties to:
-ensure unrestricted & safe access to health facilities for the injured & everyone in need of medical care
-work towards peace.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 18, 2023

Similarly, the Sudanese Health Ministry raised the alarm about the deteriorating healthcare situation in the African country.

In a statement on Twitter, the ministry said that the public health sector in Khartoum was verging on “total collapse” as 16 hospitals went completely out of service.

Heavy clashes erupted between the Sudanese military and the RSF on Saturday amid disagreements over the latter’s integration into the armed forces.

The fighting has derailed the latest internationally backed plan for a transition to a civilian government, four years after the fall of President Omar al-Bashir and two years after a military coup.

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