Sudanese army: Regional parties are involved in the current events

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
18 Apr 2023 23:15
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The Sudanese army accuses the Rapid Support Forces of violating the 24-hour humanitarian truce.

Smoke rises over the city of Al-Khartoum (Reuters)

The Sudanese army accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Tuesday of violating the internationally-mediated 24-hour humanitarian truce between the two parties, stressing that the RSF did not stop their skirmishes in several regions of the country.

The Sudanese Armed Forces revealed, in a statement on Facebook, that "a proposal for a 24-hour humanitarian truce was presented by international parties, and we agreed on it, but the rebel militia (the RSF) did not abide by it and did not stop its skirmishes around the command HQs and the airport."

"The general situation is stable, except for limited skirmishes in the vicinity of the command area and the airport," the statement confirmed, noting that there is "accurate information and strong indications of the involvement of regional and local parties, which we will disclose in a timely manner."

The battles continued for the fourth day in a row, between the army forces and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemidti), including in the capital, Al-Khartoum.

#Sudan is plunged into complete chaos one day after clashes broke out between the #Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). pic.twitter.com/C4zxUOWKEJ
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 16, 2023

Clashes between Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces rage on

On Monday, Volker Perthes, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan, confirmed that more than 1,800 people have been injured, highlighting that the death toll from the conflict in Sudan has surpassed 180.

Violence erupted on Saturday after weeks of power struggles between Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his deputy, Hemidti, who commands the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The fighting triggered a wide international outcry with appeals for an immediate ceasefire and dialogue. It broke out after bitter disagreements between Al-Burhan and Dagalo 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 military coup they orchestrated together.

The clashes forced the Sudanese to hide in their homes with fears of a prolonged conflict that could plunge the country into deeper chaos, smashing hopes for a return to civilian rule.

Since Saturday, the two sides have traded blame over who started the fighting. Each claimed the upper hand by declaring control of key sites, including the airport and the presidential palace.

The Saturday killing of three staff from the World Food Programme (WFP) in North Darfur clashes prompted the agency to suspend all operations in the country.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killings and called for accountability, saying, "Those responsible should be brought to justice without delay."

"Humanitarian workers are #NotATarget," he tweeted.

Perthes expressed in a statement that he was appalled by reports of shelling and looting impacting the UN and other humanitarian facilities.

Medics have pleaded for safe corridors for ambulances and a ceasefire to treat the victims because the streets are too dangerous for transporting casualties to hospital.

The RSF was created under now-jailed former President Omar Al-Bashir in 2013, emerging from the Janjaweed militia that his government unleashed against non-Arab ethnic minorities in Darfur a decade earlier, drawing accusations of war crimes.

The latest violence sparked by the two generals has reflected the deep-seated divisions between the regular army and the RSF. Despite the wide calls for a ceasefire, Al-Burhan and Dagalo appeared in no mood for talks.

Al-Burhan, who rose through the ranks under the three-decade rule of Al-Bashir, has said the coup was "necessary" to include more factions in politics.

Dagalo later called the coup a "mistake" that failed to bring about change and reinvigorated remnants of Al-Bashir's regime ousted by the army in 2019 following mass protests. He also called Al-Burhan a "criminal" and a "liar".

Efforts by neighbors and regional bodies to end the violence intensified on Sunday.

Saudi state media also reported on Sunday that Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan bin Al-Saud had separate phone calls with Al-Burhan and Dagalo and called for an end to the fighting.

Egypt offered to mediate, and the regional African bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development plans to send the presidents of Kenya, South Sudan, and Djibouti as soon as possible to reconcile Sudanese groups in conflict, Kenyan President William Ruto's office tweeted.

In an emergency meeting for the League of Arab States on the crisis on Sunday, Sudan said the Sudanese should be allowed to reach a settlement internally without foreign interference.