KHARTOUM: Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, was hit by explosions once again on Monday as the army rallied civilians to join the fight against paramilitary forces in an escalating conflict. Witnesses reported the sound of artillery fire shaking the dawn in northwest Khartoum, with the fighting spreading towards the city center and eastward.
The respite from heavy clashes on Sunday between troops loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was short-lived. In response to the ongoing violence, the army announced its readiness to receive and prepare volunteer fighters, echoing Burhan’s recent call for Sudanese citizens to join the military.
However, war-weary civilians have largely rejected the call for arms, expressing a desperate desire for an end to the relentless conflict between Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
Apart from Khartoum, some of the most intense fighting has occurred in the vast western region of Darfur. On Sunday, RSF forces launched an attack on a military base in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. The violence since April 15 has resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people, although medical professionals warn that the actual death toll is likely much higher due to the unavailability of healthcare facilities in combat zones.
Conflict Affects Quarter of Sudan’s Population
The situation in Darfur remains grim, with a quarter of Sudan’s population affected by the conflict. Ethnic targeting and killings of civilians by the RSF and allied Arab militias have been reported by residents, the United Nations, the United States, and other sources. The RSF has been accused of deliberately targeting civilians in Darfur, including shooting people attempting to flee towards the Chadian border. The paramilitary group has also been implicated as the primary perpetrators of conflict-related sexual assault, according to survivors in both Darfur and Khartoum.
The RSF recently announced a crackdown on looting and vandalism, acknowledging the theft of civilian cars. Throughout the conflict, RSF fighters have been accused of widespread break-ins, looting, and forcible eviction of residents from their homes. The force, which originated from the notorious Janjaweed militia, has initiated disciplinary measures against some of its members.
The humanitarian situation in Sudan is dire, with over half of the population in need of aid, including food, water, and protection. Relief deliveries have frequently been looted, and humanitarian workers have been attacked. In Darfur, entire neighborhoods have been destroyed, cities besieged, and bodies left unattended in the streets. Humanitarian assistance has been severely limited, with aid groups awaiting the opening of humanitarian corridors to reach desperate civilians.
The conflict has caused thousands of families, including children, to flee the violence in West Darfur. UNICEF has reported hundreds of children killed in the fighting, estimating that more than 13 million children are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.