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The Sudanese army announced on Sunday the seizing of the bases and headquarters of the Rapid Support Forces in seven cities in the country.

In a statement, the official spokesperson for the Sudanese Armed Forces said the bases and headquarters of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were seized and controlled in the cities of Port Sudan, Kassala, Al-Qadaref, Al-Damazin, Kosti, Kaduqli, and Karari camp in northern Omdurman.

The spokesperson pointed out that the Sudanese army liberated Major General Rukn Al-Sadiq Sayed and Brigadier General Othman Awad Allah from the detention centers of the RSF.

The Sudanese army also announced that the commander of the RSF, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, fled his hideout -- without indicating his whereabouts -- after the guards and soldiers assigned to secure him escaped their locations.

On its part, the RSF denied rumors that its leaders in North and West Darfur were killed.

The eruption of violence came after weeks of deepening tensions between military leader Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his number two, paramilitary commander Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, over the planned integration of the paramilitary RSF into the regular army.

That was a key element of talks to finalize a deal that would return the country to civilian rule and end the crisis sparked by their 2021 coup, which triggered a deepening economic crisis in what was already one of the world's poorest countries.

This comes a mere two weeks after Sudan's political process parties decided to postpone the signing of a final agreement providing for the establishment of a transitional civil authority in the country. The final agreement was set to be signed on April 1, after which a transitional constitution was to be adopted on April 6.

Health situation in Sudan is "catastrophic"

In the same context, an emergency room doctor in the Sudanese Ministry of Health, Mohammad Al-Fahal, described the health situation in Sudan as "catastrophic".

ER doctor in the #Sudanese Ministry of Health, Mohammad Al-Fahal to #AlMayadeen: The health situation in #Sudan is catastrophic, with large numbers of injured people on the waiting list and amid difficulty in evacuating the wounded. https://t.co/SeOOUqcjfD

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 16, 2023

Al-Fahal pointed out that there are large numbers of injured people on the waiting list, and there is difficulty in evacuating the wounded.

He added that surgeons are facing difficulties in transportation to reach hospitals.

Earlier, the Sudanese army said that members of the RSF had surrendered themselves and their equipment to military units in the Sudanese capital and other states, denying RSF claims that a Sukhoi plane was downed.

The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors announced that ongoing clashes in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the RSF have killed at least 56 civilians, noting that there are injuries and deaths among civilians who were unable to reach hospitals and health facilities due to transportation difficulties, as well as the army's interception of ambulances and paramedics.

According to a statement issued by the Sudanese army, the Sudanese Air Force fighters are carrying out operations to force the RSF to surrender.

On their part, the RSF claimed they were in control of the airport as well as the presidential place in Al-Khartoum, claims denied by the army.

They accused the Sudanese army of attacking their base in the capital, using all kinds of weapons.

The United Nations Security Council called on the parties to the conflict in Sudan to cease hostilities, restore calm, and return to dialogue to resolve the current crisis.

Read more: Sudanese army chief orders disbanding of RSF: Khartoum