Sudan: Dozens of soldiers killed, as well as at least 56 civilians

What’s going on in Sudan? After horrific violent clashes in which dozens of militants and at least 56 civilians were killed and at least 595 injured, according to the Sudanese Medical Union, the Sudanese army carried out airstrikes against a paramilitary base in the city of Omdurman. , which borders the capital Khartoum, to reassert its control over the country.

According to eyewitnesses, heavy artillery fire was heard in Khartoum, Omdurman and the nearby town of Bahri early Sunday morning. Shooting was also heard in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, where there had been no previous reports of fighting. The Sudanese Air Force has asked people to stay at home as they conduct a so-called aerial survey of Rapid Support Force (RSF) activities, and a public holiday was declared in Khartoum state this Sunday, closing schools, banks and government offices. Result: the streets are empty.

The Sudanese military and longtime allies of the Rapid Support Forces vie for power as political factions negotiate to form a transitional government in the wake of a 2021 military coup. Sudan, Africa’s third largest country and one of the world’s poorest nations, has been trying to organize democratic elections since 2019, after 30 years of Islamic-military dictatorship.

Khartoum declares public holiday to keep people at home

This Sunday, it is impossible to know what force holds what. The SLOs claimed to have seized the presidential palace, the army commander’s residence and airports in Khartoum, the city of Merowe in the north, El Fasher and Western Darfur state, including troops from where they came. The military denied these claims. Both sides claim to have taken over state television, but, as during the coup, only patriotic songs are broadcast on the air, and without any commentary. Gunfire and explosions have been heard in the capital, where TV footage shows smoke billowing over several neighborhoods and social media footage shows military aircraft flying low over the city, at least one of which appears to have fired a missile. Journalists saw guns and armored vehicles on the streets.

Army commander General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan told Al Jazeera that the RSF should retreat: “We believe that if they are wise, they will push back their troops that have entered Khartoum. But if this continues, we will have to bring troops into Khartoum from other regions.” Al-Burhan refuses to negotiate with his former ally-turned-rival General Mohamed Hamdan Dogolo unless the Rapid Support Force is disbanded. The army called on FSR troops to join the army units. Dagalo, better known as “Khemedti”, called Burhan a “criminal” and a “liar”. “We know where you are hiding and we will find you to bring to justice, otherwise you will die like any other dog,” he said. In response, the army posted a “wanted notice” against Hemedti on their Facebook account.

Egyptian soldiers taken hostage?

UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke with Al-Burhan and Hemedty, as well as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as Egyptian soldiers are in Sudan officially for joint military exercises with Sudan. The RSF said the Egyptian forces “surrendered” to Merov, a northern city they claimed had been captured. The video shows men in military uniforms squatting and speaking in an Egyptian Arabic dialect. General Dagolo told Sky News Arabia that the Egyptians were safe and that his group would work with Cairo to arrange for their return.

The coalition of civic groups that signed the internationally-backed Democracy Transition Project last December called for an immediate cessation of hostilities to prevent Sudan from sliding into “the abyss of total collapse.” “This is a turning point in the history of our country,” they warned in a statement: “This is a war that no one will win and that will destroy our country forever.”