Battles raged in the streets of Sudan’s capital for a fifth day Wednesday following the collapse of a cease-fire by the country’s two warring factions.
Loud explosions and gunfire could be heard across Khartoum, and witnesses reported heavy fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) near the army’s headquarters in the center of the city.
The French news agency, AFP, reports that RSF fighters in armored vehicles and pick-up trucks carrying heavy weapons swarmed the streets, while army fighter jets roared overhead and fired on RSF targets.
In the worsening situation, fighting across Sudan severely limits humanitarian operations, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
“There is limited ability to move personnel and supplies,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. “The targeting and looting of humanitarian premises must stop. Attacks on humanitarian assets and facilities will severely impact our ability to resume lifesaving operations.”
Uganda to evacuate 275 nationals
Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs is working to evacuate 275 nationals trapped in the deadly military clashes in Sudan, a top official said here Wednesday.
John Mulimba, minister of state for foreign affairs in charge of regional cooperation, revealed that government has contacted the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to assist in the evacuation of Ugandan workers, students, patients, and nationals on transit in the country.
He said there are 120 Ugandans working in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, 116 students, 14 patients in hospitals, six citizens on short visits, and 19 Muslim travelers on transit to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the Ramadan pilgrimage.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approached the IOM and requested support and assistance to evacuate Ugandans who may wish to return home,” said Mulimba, who late on Tuesday briefed parliament on the government’s plans to evacuate its citizens.
Fighting between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces broke out Saturday after months of rising tension over the country’s political future and plans to integrate the RSF into the national army.
The head of the World Health Organization said Tuesday that according to Sudanese authorities, 270 people have been killed in the fighting and more than 2,600 injured.
But the actual death toll is uncertain because authorities have not been able to retrieve the bodies of those killed in the streets due to the heavy fighting.
Dagalo: ‘‘we are defending democracy in Sudan. Burhan is a “radical Islamist’’
Dagalo said Monday on Twitter that he was defending democracy in Sudan and called Burhan a “radical Islamist.” Dagalo’s forces emerged from the notorious Janjaweed militias in Sudan’s Darfur region and have been accused of carrying out atrocities in the region.
The clashes are part of a power struggle between General Burhan, who also heads the transitional council, and General Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, the deputy head of the transitional council. The two generals joined forces in October 2021 to overthrow the transitional government formed after the 2019 ouster of longtime autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir.
The restructuring of the military was part of an effort to restore the country to civilian rule and end the political crisis.
