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Sudan Conflict Leaves Almost 200 Dead and 1,800 Injured, Including Many Civilians

by | Apr 18, 2023 | News | 0 comments

In the midst of escalating fighting in Sudan, almost 200 people have been killed and around 1,800 have been wounded, according to reports. Civilians are among the majority of the wounded, including many children who were caught in the crossfire, said Cyrus Paye from Doctors Without Borders. Due to limited surgical capacity, 11 people died from their injuries within the first 48 hours of the conflict. Several organizations have temporarily suspended operations in the country, where one-third of the population requires aid.

UN emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths said that the recent fighting has aggravated an already fragile situation, causing UN agencies and humanitarian partners to temporarily shutter many of their 250 programs across Sudan. On Monday, diplomatic maneuvering increased as the conflict showed no signs of abating. Egypt, an influential northern neighbor, announced that it had discussed with Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, and Djibouti—the allies of Sudan— the need to make every effort to preserve stability and safety.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on the two warring parties to return to the negotiating table and said he was working on the return of Egyptian military trainers captured on Saturday at an air base by RSF forces. There are no longer any civilian flights arriving in Khartoum, where fighting has damaged aircraft.

On Twitter, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo called on the international community to intervene against Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, branding him a radical Islamist who is bombing civilians from the air. Daglo, whose RSF and its predecessor the Janjaweed in Darfur have previously been accused of atrocities and war crimes, said that he will continue to pursue Al-Burhan and bring him to justice. Army statements have labeled the RSF “a rebel militia” intent on “engaging near populated areas.”

The fighting broke out after bitter disagreements between Burhan and Daglo over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army, a key condition for a final deal aimed at ending a crisis since the 2021 coup, which derailed a transition to democracy. Both claim to be in control of key sites, including the airport and the presidential palace, but none of this could be independently verified. Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair said that while Sudan has endured decades of bitter civil wars, coups, and rebellions since independence, the level of fighting inside the capital was “unprecedented.”

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