KHARTOUM: Heavy fighting again rocked Sudan’s capital on Sunday as tens of thousands have fled the bloody turmoil and a former prime minister warned of the “nightmare” risk of a descent into full-scale civil war.
Army forces clashed with paramilitaries in Khartoum as deadly hostilities have entered a third week despite the latest ceasefire, which was formally set to expire at the end of the day.
A first Red Cross plane brought eight tonnes of humanitarian aid to Port Sudan, from Jordan, on Sunday. It carried surgical material and medical kits to stabilise 1,500 patients, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.
Millions of Sudanese have endured crippling shortages of water, food, medicines and other basic supplies, while tens of thousands have fled to neighbouring countries, with more on their way.
The turmoil could deepen further in the power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Sudan’s former premier Abdalla Hamdok warned on Saturday that the conflict could deteriorate into one of the world’s worst civil wars.
“God forbid if Sudan is to reach a point of civil war proper... Syria, Yemen, Libya will be a small play,” Hamdok told an event in Nairobi. “I think it would be a nightmare for the world.”
The violence has killed at least 528 people and wounded about 4,600, the health ministry said.
The UN World Food Programme has warned the unrest could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people already need aid to stave off famine.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged negotiations to end the bloodshed.
“There is no right to go on fighting for power when the country is falling apart,” he said on Saturday.
Fighting, looting and lawlessness have raged in the Darfur region.
At least 96 people were reported killed in El Geneina, West Darfur, the UN said.
Darfur is still scarred by a war that erupted in 2003 when Bashir unleashed the Janjaweed militia, which left at least 300,000 dead and close to 2.5 million displaced according to UN figures.
“What’s happening in Darfur is terrible,” Guterres said. “The society is falling apart, we see tribes that now try to arm themselves.” — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
