Sudan: fighting continues as death toll rises

Sudan is entering its third consecutive day of fighting between the army, led by the president of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo -alias Hemedti-, vice-president of the Sudanese Sovereign Council.

The situation in the country remains grave. At least 97 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured according to local medical data and figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The UN agency has warned that many of the supplies distributed are running low. "Hospitals in Khartoum that are receiving wounded civilians report shortages of blood, transfusion sets, intravenous fluids and other medical supplies," the organisation said in a statement.

Other challenges facing Sudanese civilians include water and power cuts, as well as fuel shortages, which are affecting the proper and normal functioning of hospitals.

While the number of dead and wounded is rising, fighting between the army and the FAR is intensifying. Since Saturday morning, artillery and military aircraft fire has been recurrent in the capital, Khartoum, as well as in other parts of the country. In the conflict-ridden North Darfur region, for example, three UN World Food Programme employees have been killed in the fighting, leading to the temporary suspension of all agency operations. Meanwhile, in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur and the nation's second most populous city, citizens have been forced to flee due to fighting between the two. 

This conflict reflects the complete rift between Al-Burhan and his former right-hand man, Hemedti. In fact, both orchestrated and led the 2021 coup d'état that hindered the country's democratic transition following the overthrow of dictator Omar Al-Bashir in 2019.

The clashes erupted after several disagreements between Al-Burhan and Hemedti over how the FAR should be integrated into the national army, a key issue in reaching a deal to end the country's crisis. Both military leaders have accused the other side of initiating the fighting and both have announced their control of key points such as barracks and airports. 

As Hemedti told CNN, FAR had to continue fighting "to defend itself", noting that al-Burhan had lost control of the armed forces. The army leader, for his part, accused the FAR of attacking his residence during a statement to Al Jazeera, although he assured that "everything is under control". 

Sudan's former Prime Minister, Abdallah Hamdok, has also spoken out on the matter. The former leader of the Sudanese transition has warned from Abu Dhabi that his country is in a "catastrophic" moment. Hamdok urged the two sides to immediately cease hostilities and resort to dialogue. "Peace is the only option for the Sudanese people to prevent the country from descending into civil war," the former Prime Minister said.

According to WAM, the United Arab Emirates news agency, Hamdok acknowledged that he was not in favour of any foreign intervention, but called on the international community to play a positive role in overcoming the crisis.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has already condemned the killing of civilians in Sudan, demanding that those responsible be "brought to justice" as soon as possible. Similarly, Guterres has reported attacks and looting against UN and other humanitarian organisations' facilities in Darfur.

The Russian-led Security Council this month has called for a cessation of hostilities, the restoration of calm and a return to dialogue to resolve the current crisis facing the African nation.

Entities of which Sudan is a member, such as the African Union (AU) and the Arab League, have also redoubled their efforts to end the current conflict. AU chairperson Musa Faki has announced that he will travel "immediately" to Sudan with the aim of promoting dialogue between the two sides, while the pan-Arab organisation has addressed the situation in an emergency meeting.

Among the member states, Egypt is emerging as a possible mediator between the parties to end the hostilities. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri has already announced the initiation of measures to stop the violence in its neighbouring country in coordination with the international community and, in particular, the European Union

The Sudanese crisis has also reached the G7 summit currently being held in Japan. In a joint communiqué, the United States and the United Kingdom expressed their concern about the fighting and the threat it poses to the nation, the local population and the region. From Japan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also called on Sudanese military leaders to return to dialogue and announce an "immediate" ceasefire.