2023-05-04 17:47:52
“The violence in Sudan is a tragedy and a betrayal of the clear demands of the Sudanese people for a civilian government and a transition to democracy,” he said in a statement, adding: “It must end.”
For the twentieth day, battles continue in Khartoum between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in a struggle for power, despite the announcement of a “principled agreement” to extend the armistice, which was not respected until May 11, and “confrontations and explosions” continue in the northern suburb of Khartoum.
Since April 15, fighting between the army led by Abd al-Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) has resulted in about 700 deaths and thousands of injuries, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Group (ACLED).
Less than one hospital out of five in Khartoum is now in service, with almost no hospital services in the Darfur region (west).
The battles forced more than 335,000 people to flee and pushed 115,000 others to seek refuge in neighboring countries, according to the United Nations, which fears that the number of refugees may be eight times higher.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Egypt confirmed, through its Twitter account, that 50,000 people have crossed into Egyptian territory across the Sudanese border, including 47,000 Sudanese.
On Thursday, the United Nations said in a statement that it needed $445 million to help the 860,000 people who may flee by October the bloody fighting in Sudan between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees launched an appeal to collect funds from donor countries, noting that Egypt and South Sudan will register the largest number of arrivals.
We failed in to forbid the war
On the day the war broke out, the two generals who allied in the 2021 coup were scheduled to discuss with the United Nations and international mediators ways to integrate the Rapid Support Forces into the army, a condition that had to be implemented in preparation for restoring power to a civilian government and resuming international aid that was suspended due to the coup.
But instead of political negotiations, 45 million Sudanese woke up to the sound of artillery bombardment and air strikes.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “It can be said that we failed to prevent” the outbreak of war, which “surprised” the UN organization.
The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned in a statement Thursday, “The rebel forces attacked the headquarters of the Indian embassy in Khartoum, stormed the ambassador’s office and looted his belongings.”
Mediations international
South Sudan, which often mediates in Sudan, announced that the two parties to the conflict had agreed to a truce “from 4 to 11 May”.
The Sudanese army announced its approval of the armistice, provided that the Rapid Support Forces adhere to it, which did not comment on the matter.
At a time when diplomatic contacts are intensifying in Africa and the Middle East, the army said it chose this proposal, which was put forward by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in East Africa (IGAD), because of the need for “African solutions to the problems of the continent.”
He also welcomed the American and Saudi mediation after a tour that his envoy made this week, which included Riyadh, then Cairo, and the Arab League.
The Arab League will hold two extraordinary meetings in Cairo on Sunday at the level of foreign ministers to discuss the war in Sudan, a high-ranking diplomat told AFP.
The meeting devoted to Sudan will discuss the situation in this country “in all its political, security, humanitarian, social and economic dimensions,” according to the source.
Al-Burhan camp pledged to name a delegate to represent it to negotiate a truce with the other party under the auspices of “the presidents of South Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti.”
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