KHARTOUM: The Sudanese capital of Khartoum witnessed intense clashes between rival factions on Sunday, while the rising number of displaced people faced the looming threats of disease and malnutrition. The clashes between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have resulted in nearly 3,000 casualties since mid-April.
Residents in Khartoum reported being awakened by violent fighting and the sound of warplanes. The situation has escalated further in the western region of Darfur, where reports suggest that civilians have been deliberately targeted and killed based on their ethnicity by the RSF and allied Arab militias. The death toll is expected to be significantly higher than reported, as combat-affected areas have rendered two-thirds of health facilities “out of service,” according to the World Health Organization.
Displaced Sudanese people stuck in nine camps in the White Nile State, which borders South Sudan, face dire circumstances. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) described the situation as grave, highlighting the suspected cases of measles and the emergence of malnutrition as a critical health emergency. MSF reported treating 223 children with suspected measles, with 72 requiring hospitalization and 13 fatalities recorded between June 6 and 7.
Conflict Severely Damages Sudan’s Fragile Infrastructure
The conflict has severely damaged Sudan’s already fragile infrastructure, leaving residents without access to water and electricity in sweltering conditions. Approximately 25 million people in Sudan require humanitarian aid and protection, according to the United Nations.
Ceasefires brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia, among others, have failed to bring lasting peace. Despite separate unilateral truces declared by the warring factions during the recent Eid al-Adha holiday, fighting continued unabated.
The worsening situation in Darfur echoes the painful history of the region. Former president Omar al-Bashir armed and unleashed the Janjaweed militia, the RSF’s predecessor, in 2003, resulting in the deaths of over 300,000 people and displacing 2.5 million. Bashir and others have been charged by the International Criminal Court with genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. However, the current fighting in Darfur has raised concerns of potential new “crimes against humanity,” as warned by a UN official.
Reports have also emerged of sexual abuse in Darfur and other regions, with at least 25 “conflict-related sexual assaults” recorded in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, and additional cases reported in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, and Khartoum. Survivors in Khartoum identified the RSF fighters as the perpetrators, while the government unit monitoring such offenses has expressed deep concern.