The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors Reports 56 Civilians Dead as Military and Government Forces Clash for Power in Sudan
Clashes have erupted across Sudan between the military and a government paramilitary force, leaving 56 civilians dead and 595 others wounded, according to the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors. The military launched air strikes on a base belonging to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the government’s paramilitary force, on Sunday, leading to the unrest.
Analysts have reported that the RSF has an estimated strength of 100,000 personnel, and both factions have been fighting for control as political factions negotiate forming a transitional government since the 2021 military coup.
The RSF claimed to have taken control of the presidential palace, state television station, army chief’s residence, and airports in several cities, but the army has refuted these claims. The prolonged confrontation could have significant consequences for Sudan, which is already struggling with economic breakdown and tribal violence, leading to efforts to move towards elections being derailed.
International Bodies Intervention
International powers including the United States, Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Nations, European Union, and African Union have all made appeals for an immediate end to the ongoing hostilities in Sudan.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, had previously consulted with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the clashes in Sudan and stated that the parties involved must immediately end the hostilities without any preconditions.
On Sunday, a State Department official expressed deep concern about the high levels of violence in Sudan and the significant weaponry involved in some of the attacks. The Saudi, US, and UAE foreign ministers also called for a return to the framework agreement on the transition to democracy after a phone call.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an immediate ceasefire and spoke with the leaders of both sides and with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi regarding the ongoing crisis.
These tensions have also delayed the signing of an internationally backed agreement on the transition to democracy. On Saturday, a coalition of civilian groups that had signed a draft of the agreement called for an immediate halt to the hostilities to prevent Sudan from collapsing completely.
The RSF has accused the military of being involved in a coup attempt by loyalists of the former president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who was ousted in a 2019 coup. This latest coup ousted the country’s civilian prime minister. Eyewitnesses have reported fighting in many areas outside the capital, and the RSF has shared a video that it claims shows Egyptian troops surrendering to them in Merowe. However, Egypt has denied this claim, stating that the troops were in Sudan for exercises with their Sudanese counterparts.
General Hemedti, a leader of the RSF, has told Sky News Arabia that the Egyptians were safe and the RSF would cooperate with Cairo on their return. The video showed men dressed in army fatigues crouched on the ground and speaking in an Egyptian Arabic dialect.
There are also unconfirmed reports that several Egyptian Air Force fighter planes and their pilots have been captured by the RSF, along with Sudanese weapons and military vehicles. Clashes have also been reported between the RSF and the military in the Darfur cities of El Fasher and Nyala, according to eyewitnesses.
