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17-04-2023
KHARTOUM: Explosions rocked the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Monday as fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) raged for a third day.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday joined regional efforts to pressure the warring sides to end the fighting and return to talks as the civilian death toll rose to 97.
The two sides agreed to a three-hour pause in fighting from 4pm local time (14:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT) on Saturday to allow humanitarian evacuations proposed by the United Nations.
The clashes are part of a power struggle between army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the RSF group. The two generals are former allies who jointly orchestrated an October 2021 military coup which halted Sudan’s transition process to democratic rule and elections.
Blasts rock Khartoum again
Journalist Haitham Oito says heavy explosions can be heard again in Khartoum after a brief period of calm.
“We now hear explosions with heavy weapons,” Oito said.
“The clashes on the third day are more severe than the previous two days because of the use of the air force. This explains the heavy smoke rising in Khartoum,” he added.
“The damage may be great to the infrastructure and may increase the number of the victims.”
Saleh Jomaa, a political analyst in Khartoum, has warned that the conflict could spiral out of control if there is no de-escalation.
“Sudan is a fragile and tribal country, so if this war does not end, it may lead to civil war, especially since the tribes carry weapons here,” Jomaa told Al Jazeera.
“In order to achieve a democratic transition, it is necessary to dismiss the agenda that keeps people away from the political process.”
Jomaa called for negotiations in order to reach peace and create a unified army in the country.
“We also need security reform. The solution to the crisis is a Sudanese political one.” (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
