Skirmishes continue in Sudan as a brief ceasefire allowed more than 1,200 people to evacuate

More than 1,200 people were evacuated from schools, offices and institutions in central Khartoum this Sunday thanks to the opening of humanitarian corridors in the Sudanese capital after a brief lull in the three-hour fighting, officials said. Sudanese Red Crescent.

People were trapped since Saturday morning, when fighting broke out between the army and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (FAR).

Fierce fighting broke out in densely populated areas of the capital on Sunday in the second day of clashes between the army and a group of paramilitaries that left at least 56 civilians dead, including three UN aid workers.

Three WFP aid workers killed

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) said it will suspend operations in the African country following the deaths of three of its workers in clashes in North Darfur.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for “justice without delay”.

That’s what the UN says one third of Sudan’s population is in need of humanitarian aid.

Fighting between the regular army and the Rapid Support Forces (FAR) paramilitaries caused international alarm and led to the closure of the borders between neighboring Egypt and Chad.

Deafening explosions and heavy gunfire shook buildings in Khartoum’s densely populated northern and southern suburbs, witnesses said.

Fighting continued after dark on Sunday as Sudanese huddled in their homes, fearing that a protracted conflict could plunge Sudan into deeper chaos, dashing hopes of a transition to civilian-led democracy.

Late Sunday afternoon, the military said it had accepted “a proposal from the United Nations to open a humanitarian corridor” for three hours, ending at 5pm GMT. RSF confirmed the move.

Despite the pause, heavy gunfire was heard in the center of Khartoum.

rivals

The conflict has been brewing for weeks and prevents a political agreement in one of the poorest countries in the world. Since the popular uprising that toppled Omar al Bashir in 2019, Sudan is trying to hold free elections for the first time after 30 years of dictatorship.

During the coup that ended the democratic transition in October 2021, the head of the army, Abdel Fatah al Burhan, and the head of the FAR, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, joined forces to oust civilians from power.

But the battle between the two generals turned violent on Saturday.

The FAR led by Daglo says they have captured the presidential palace, Khartoum airport and other strategic places. but the military insists it is still in control.

But for now, the two generals seem unwilling to talk and call each other criminals.

Burhan, a soldier who rose under the now-imprisoned Muslim General Bashir, He assured that the 2021 coup was “necessary” to bring more factions into politics.

Daglo called the coup a “mistake” because it brought about no change and reactivated some elements of the Bashir regime, which was ousted by the army in 2019 after mass protests.