2023-04-16 19:13:14
They were killed doing their work in North Darfur
which closed its border due to the violence, said Volker Perthes, a United Nations representative in Sudan, in a press release.
He clarified that humanitarian buildings have been hit and others looted in Darfur
. L’HIM subsequently announced the temporary suspension of its World Food Program (WFP) in the East African country, time to analyze the evolution of the security situation
.
Any loss of life in the humanitarian exercise is unacceptable and I call for immediate action to ensure the safety of those still present.
said Cindy McCain, director of the PAMby press release.
« Aid workers are neutral and should never be targets. Threatening our teams makes it impossible to work safely. »
The general secretary of theHIM Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the deaths of civilians and aid workers in Sudan and said those responsible must be held accountable. brought to justice as soon as possible
.
Elsewhere in the country, dozens of fighters were mowed down by bullets, rockets and other projectiles fired from tanks and planes, according to pro-democracy doctors.
On social networks, they are calling for help, the establishment of secure corridors to let ambulances pass and a ceasefire to treat the many victims. The majority of them were recorded in Khartoum, the country’s capital.
The army and the paramilitaries finally announced the opening of humanitarian corridors
for three hours on Sunday to evacuate the injured. The two camps, however, keep a right of response in case of violation
of the agreement.
A struggle for power
Fighting between the army and paramilitary forces, which respond to two generals in the midst of a struggle for power in Sudan, began on Saturday.
For weeks, the tone had been rising between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, who is the army chief, and General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, also called Hemedti
, who heads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The two men have been in charge of the country since the October 2021 coup, which ended the democratic transition that began in 2019.
The ever-increasing tensions between the two generals made any political settlement difficult, if not impossible, in this country torn apart by 30 years of dictatorship.
General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, last February, in Khartoum.
Photo : Reuters / MOHAMED NURELDIN ABDALLAH
Hemedti and his men, thousands of ex-militiamen from the Darfur war who had become official auxiliaries to the regular troops, finally went on the attack. For 24 hours, they have been trying to take control of the main centers of power in the country, in Khartoum.
For the moment, however, it is difficult to know who from the army and the FSR is truly in control.
THE FSR announced that they had taken control of the airport in a few hours on Saturday, but the army denied it. The paramilitaries also claimed to have seized the presidential palace, which the army also denied. Hemedti’s troops, for their part, claim to be in control of the headquarters of his staff.
In addition, the two camps claim to control state television. Around the media facilities, residents report continued fighting. On the air, only patriotic songs are broadcast, as was the case during the 2021 putsch.
The open war between the generals is also media. On Saturday, Hemedti granted several interviews to Gulf television channels, of which several states are his allies, and multiplied the attacks against his rival. He relentlessly demanded the departure of Burhane the criminal
.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane (File photo)
Photo : afp via getty images / ASHRAF SHAZLY
For its part, the army published on Facebook a Wanted poster
against Hemedti, criminal on the run
.
Meanwhile, the fighting continues unabated in the four corners of Sudan, which brings together 45 million inhabitants. Many are hiding to escape rifle fire and attacks from heavy artillery and fighter planes.
Throughout the Sudanese capital, armed men in uniform wander the deserted streets and columns of smoke rise from the city center, where the main institutions are located.
The night was very hard. We didn’t sleep because of the sounds of explosions and gunshots
told theAFP Ahmed Seif, who lives with his wife and three children in eastern Khartoum. He fears that his building has been hit, but says he has scared to go out to check
for fear of stray bullets and armed men roaming the streets.
During the putsch in October 2021, Hemedti and General Burhane joined forces to oust civilians from power. But over time, Hemedti never stopped denouncing the coup.
Photo : afp via getty images
The bombardments continue Sunday in the capital, which is invaded by a strong smell of gunpowder. The soldiers had also warned on Facebook that the Air Force would carry out operations to finish off the rebel Rapid Support militias, and that civilians should stay at home
.
For its part, the international community multiplies in vain calls for a ceasefire. Beijing has joined Washington and Moscow in calling for a return to calm, just as theHIM, the Arab League and the African Union. The Pope, for his part, invited pray for weapons to be given up
.
The general secretary of theHIMAntonio Guterres, called the two Saudi generals to demand an immediate end to the violence
. He also urged Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, an influential player in Sudan, to act. Since Saturday, Egypt has been concerned about a video showing several of its soldiers in the hands of FSR.
The Arab League and the African Union, where the great sponsors of Sudanese politics sit, met urgently on Sunday morning. The head of the African Union commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, will travel to Sudan during the day to try to engage “the parties in a ceasefire”.
They express deep concern
the African Union called on the forces of the two Sudanese generals to protect civilians
.
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