Sudan’s army chief said on Friday the army under his leadership was committed to a peaceful transition to civilian rule, in his first public speech since the week-long conflict. between his army and a powerful paramilitary force turned life upside down in Africa’s third-largest country.
But the army commander, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s de facto leader, was deflect the country’s transition to democracy in the past. In late 2021, he staged a coup that toppled the civilian prime minister and disrupted a fragile power-sharing agreement between the military and the civilian population. And this month, just like him expected to hand over power to the commonersHis forces and those loyal to his main rival, Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan, began violent clashes in the capital Khartoum and other cities.
General al-Burhan also did not say whether the army would commit to the latest ceasefire, which the paramilitary group led by General Hamdan, the Rapid Support Forces, said it had agreed to based on a call from Sudanese civil unions and international officials. . Instead, he said, “Your armed forces are moving forward to defeat the insurgents.”
The proposed ceasefire is intended to allow people to gather on Eid on Friday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, to evacuate loved ones and seek food and medical care. . Instead, residents in several neighboring areas of Khartoum reported intense gunfights and shelling in the streets, and many across Sudan continue to face a desperate situation as they struggle. to flee from war zones or gain access to food and water.
According to the World Health Organization, at least 413 people have been killed and another 3,551 injured in clashes since Saturday. At least 20 hospitals had to close because of shelling or because of a lack of water, fuel and supplies such as oxygen and blood for blood transfusions. UN agency said.
The WHO added that eight other facilities are also facing closure because of medical staff burnout. The situation is particularly dire in Khartoum, where warring parties have attacked hospitals and clinics and robbed ambulances.
It is still unclear which of the two warring generals is in control of Sudan, even if countries including the US prepare to evacuate their citizens from the northeastern African country.
General al-Burhan acknowledged that the clashes had caused heavy casualties, destroyed property and forced families across the country to flee their homes.
Speaking of Eid, he say that the fighting “leads no room for the joy our people deserve.” But he added: “We are confident that we will overcome this challenge with training, wisdom and strength, in a way that protects the security and unity of the country and allows us to transition to civil regime.”
With the crisis now in its seventh day, humanitarian concerns across the country are escalating. The United Nations World Food Program says the conflict is hindering access to meals for school-age children and those suffering from malnutrition. The agency also said that its offices and warehouses are in Nyala, a city in South Darfur state, was robbedloss of 4,400 tons of food.
On Thursday, the United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, called on the opposing sides to adhere to a three-day ceasefire after he held a video conference with regional and global agencies including African Union, Arab League and European Union. But Friday’s clashes followed a pattern common in recent days, in which calls and a truce quickly fell apart.
Elian Peltier contribution report.
