the kitchen Explosions and gunfire echoed in the capital Khatorum and other towns as fighting between the army and rival forces for control of Sudan continued for a third day on Monday. Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, told reporters on Monday that 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 wounded since the fighting broke out. Both sides are using artillery and other heavy weapons in densely populated areas. A thick plume of smoke could be seen in the sky due to anti-jet firing amid the rumble of fighter jets.
By the way, the number of dead is feared to be more because many dead bodies are lying on the roads in the middle of the kitchen and no one is able to reach those dead bodies due to the fierce struggle. So far nothing has been said officially about how many civilians or fighters have been killed. A group of doctors earlier told that 97 people have died so far. Millions of people are unable to leave their homes after fierce violence broke out over the weekend between the country’s two top generals. The one who has taken shelter because of the violence, is trapped there. Supplies of essential commodities are dwindling and many hospitals are on the verge of closure. Thousands of armed fighters are fighting from both sides.
Meanwhile, diplomatic pressure is mounting on Sudan to end the violence. Top leaders including the UN secretary-general, the EU foreign policy chief, the US secretary of state, the head of the Arab League and the head of the African Union Commission have called on both sides to end the fighting. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was speaking with leaders of the Arab League, the African Union and the region, urging them to end the conflict. The Security Council is about to discuss the Sudan crisis.
The violence is part of a power struggle between the commander of the armed forces, Abdel Fateh al-Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Force (RSF), General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. Both generals are former allies who oversaw a military coup in October 2021 that derailed Sudan’s short-lived democracy. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is attending the G-7 meeting in Japan, spoke to Burhan and Dagalo on the phone and stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire, said Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesman for the US State Department.
On Tuesday, Blinken told reporters that the indiscriminate military operation “put the lives of civilians, diplomats and humanitarian aid workers at risk.” He called for a 24-hour ceasefire for a long-term reconciliation. In a joint statement, the G7 foreign ministers condemned the ongoing conflict in Sudan. He said, “We appeal to the concerned parties to unconditionally stop fighting immediately, hold talks and reduce tensions.”
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said late on Monday that the Egyptian government was in constant contact with the army and the RSF, urging them to stop fighting and hold talks. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell tweeted that the EU ambassador to Sudan was “attacked at his residence”. However, he did not give detailed information about this. EU officials did not respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, both the Sudanese generals are adamant on not backing down and are demanding each other’s surrender.
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