KHARTOUM, April 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Gunfire and explosions in Sudan’s capital continued to rock the city for a second day, residents said, as the civilian death toll from the conflict between the military and a heavily armed paramilitary force rose to 56, with “dozens” more deaths among the military, a Sudanese doctors group said Sunday.
The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said the total number of injured had reached 595, including dozens in critical condition.
Fighting broke out Saturday morning in the Horn of Africa nation after weeks of rising tensions between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a major paramilitary group led by Vice President Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — universally referred to as Hemedti — and the military, headed by the president, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Residents reported airstrikes in the capital, and three civilian planes at the main airport were either set aflame or hit by gunfire. One had passengers and crew aboard.
Hemedti has close ties with Russia, while Burhan is backed by neighboring Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous nation. Instability in Sudan has also frequently bled over into its fragile neighbors. Chad has already announced it has closed the shared border between the two nations.
On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud and Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and the three diplomats “agreed it was essential for the parties to immediately end hostilities without precondition.”
“I urge General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Degalo to take active measures to reduce tensions,” said Blinken in a statement. The only way forward for the warring parties, Blinken said, was to “return to negotiations that support the Sudanese people’s democratic aspirations.”
All U.S. Embassy personnel are accounted for, he added.
Fighting also erupted on Saturday in several other cities in Sudan, including Merowe, El Obeid and the towns of Al Fashir and Nyala in Darfur. — NNN-AGENCIES
