Where does Sudan conflict stand after eight months?

HERE below is a video interview from Al Jazeera English Inside Story

Published at Al Jazeera English online Wed 20 Dec 2023 - copy of text:

Where does the conflict in Sudan stand after eight months?

Fighting shows no sign of ending and no political settlement on the horizon.

It’s been more than eight months since the lives of millions of Sudanese were plunged into conflict and uncertainty.

The paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces, has gained momentum in recent weeks, consolidating its grip on the vast Darfur region and seizing new territory, including the second-largest city, Wad Madani.

It’s been a major hub for people displaced from their homes.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) – a regional body which has been trying to spearhead peace talks – said last week that had it secured a commitment from the rival sides to implement a ceasefire and hold dialogue.

So how does this latest development in Wad Madani change the dynamics of the conflict?

See video interview:

Duration 28 minutes 30 seconds

Presenter: Cyril Vanier

Guests:

Hamid Khalafallah – Researcher and policy analyst specialising on Sudan’s constitution building

Alan Boswell – Horn of Africa project pirector at the International Crisis Group

David Shinn – Former US chief of mission in Sudan

Direct Link: https://www.aljazeera.com/program/inside-story/2023/12/20/where-does-the-conflict-in-sudan-stand-after-eight-months

ENDS

Sudan: UNICEF is working with partners to help 200 orphan babies evacuated from Khartoum to Madani

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: This copy of a post at X by Channel 4 News 19 Dec 2023 links to its video report containing news of 200 orphaned babies evacuated from Mygoma Orphanage in Khartoum to Wad Madani, Aj Jazirah. It shows footage of the orphans and their carer tearfully pleading for help, saying of the 200 babies he looks after, half need specialist care. 

The video report shows a UNICEF logo behind Ms. Mandeep O'Brien, Sudan Country Representative, UNICEF saying: “These are safe spaces, we are deeply worried about their situation and we are currently working with partners to see what practical solutions can be done to help these children”.

250,000 flee Sudan’s second city as paramilitary seizes controlhttps://t.co/dPP8adSsxX

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) December 19, 2023

Here is an intro to the report, copied from the website of Channel 4 News:

19 Dec 2023

250,000 flee Sudan’s second city as paramilitary seizes control 

By Keme Nzerem 

A quarter of a million people have been forced to flee heavy fighting in a part of Sudan which was supposed to be a safe haven. The UN said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces had seized control of the country’s second city Wad Madani – where hundreds of thousands of people from Khartoum have been seeking shelter. Aid organisations have suspended their work in the area, with reports of widespread looting. 

Keme Nzerem reports. 

Channel 4 News is the main news programme on British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since Channel 4's launch in November 1982. -Wikipedia

View original and video: https://www.channel4.com/news/250000-flee-sudans-second-city-as-paramilitary-seizes-control 

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Related

Sudan Watch - May 29, 2023

Khartoum orphanage - 50 children including 24 babies died as fighting prevented staff reaching them

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2023/05/khartoum-orphanage-50-children.html

Sudan Watch - December 20, 2023

Sudan: ICRC please help the children evacuated from Mygoma Orphanage in Khartoum to Wad Madani

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2023/12/sudan-icrc-please-help-children.html

ENDS

Sudan: Sennar, where thousands of people fleeing Wad Madani have arrived, is a panicked city says NRC

#Sudan: @AhmedOmer, Communications Coordinator in Sudan describes the current situation in Sennar, where thousands of people fleeing Wad Madani have arrived. pic.twitter.com/yq2oftVm7G

— NRC East Africa and Yemen (@NRC_EAY) December 19, 2023

Transcript of sub-titles taken from the above audio clip:

Ahmed Omer’s voice 

Communications Coordinator at NRC [Norwegian Refugee Council] in Sudan 

"They are hungry, they are panicked, they are ill and the situation in the city is getting difficult. There is no fuel in the city even for the cars. That is why the transportation fees is increasing. There is no fuel. Even in the black market it is difficult to find and when you find it is more than 50,000 SDG per a gallon of petrol.

People here in Sennar, are trying to get in vehicles, whatever vehicle you find, you just jump on to it, particularly trucks, the pickup trucks and the bigger trucks. They jump on it. I saw this on the streets. They just jump. But for the families, for women and children, it’s really difficult. So they are trying to hire buses or to take buses. And buses are limited here. 

So what I’m seeing here right now in front of me are people on the streets, in the streets just carrying their luggages and walking, just people walking. It reminds me of Khartoum and what happened there when we saw people walking. When we saw the pictures of people walking, taking the luggages with them. So it’s a panicked city".

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Sudan: Hundreds of thousands who fled Khartoum warfare & airstrikes are now facing it in Wad Madani

#Sudan: “This is a terrible turn of events. Hundreds of thousands of people who fled from urban warfare and airstrikes in Khartoum are now facing this all again in a place they thought was safe.” @WillCarter_NRC to @guardianhttps://t.co/xFUQfNkBDg

— NRC East Africa and Yemen (@NRC_EAY) December 18, 2023

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Thousands flee Wad Madani, Sudan's second city, to escape fighting

Click here to view the above report at The Guardian online

Written by Zeinab Mohammed Salih in Khartoum 

Dated Saturday, 16 December 2023 17.58 GMT - excerpt:

In Djibouti last weekend the two warring sides committed to pursuing a ceasefire under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s facilitation, an east African political body, but the army on Thursday bombed the city of Neyala, the capital of South Darfur state, killing many people, among them several civilians. Neyala is now being controlled by the RSF after intense fighting that lasted for months. Three other major states have fallen under the RSF, leaving only North Darfur under the army control.

Several aid organisations have suspended their work in Madani, which had become a hub for humanitarian work after war broke out in Khartoum, following the latest developments.

“We have paused our work in Wad Madani while conflict has erupted there, we will resume as soon as possible,” said William Carter, the country director of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

“The numbers of people displaced are already in their thousands, and likely to grow as the fighting continues. We’ve dispatched emergency response teams to areas that people are fleeing to, such as Sennar and Gedaref states.

“This is a terrible turn of events. Hundreds of thousands of people who fled from urban warfare and airstrikes in Khartoum are now facing this all again in a place they thought was safe.”

A boy displaced by the conflict in Wad Madani walks with his belongings on 16 December. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

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Sudan: Statement by Will Carter, country director of NRC in Sudan, on ongoing attack in Al Jazirah State

THE following post by NRC published today (Sun 17 Dec) at X was reposted at X by Jan Egeland @NRC_Egeland Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) @NRC_Norway @Flyktninghjelp. The post says: 

"Wad Madani has been a place of refuge for those displaced from Khartoum, including for humanitarian and medical evacuation efforts. Now the fighting is approaching, and heavy artillery and gunfire have been heard for three days. “A continuous flow of people, many of them who already ran for their lives just a few months ago, are now rushing towards already fragile neighbouring states. -Will Carter, Country Director, Norwegian Refugee Council in Sudan NRC” -Norwegian Refugee Council (@NRC_Norway) December 17, 2023"

The post attaches another post by NRC published today at X, it says:

"We are deeply concerned about the escalating conflict at the doors of Wad Madani in #Sudan, where 700,000 people live, including many who have sought refuge after fleeing Khartoum. Statement by @WillCarter_NRC"

Wad Madani has been a place of refuge for those displaced from Khartoum, including for humanitarian and medical evacuation efforts. Now the fighting is approaching, and heavy artillery and gunfire have been heard for three days. https://t.co/GFp9nxrXH2 pic.twitter.com/cTvbPqPlbs

— Norwegian Refugee Council (@NRC_Norway) December 17, 2023

Note, the post provides a link to a statement by Will Carter, country director of NRC in Sudan. The statement is copied in full here below.

Also, a post by @WillCarter_NRC today at X, says: 

"Civilians who fled Khartoum’s urban war zone are displaced again—it’s terrifying & traumatising. We’re doing our best to quickly respond to emergency needs: mobilised teams + sent remaining supplies to Sennar & Gedaref; supporting local responders expand the collective shelters. 11:36 AM · Dec 17, 2023"

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Statement from the website of Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

Published Sunday, 17 Dec 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Statement on ongoing attack in Al Jazirah State, Sudan 

Statement by William Carter, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s country director of NRC in Sudan on ongoing attack in Al Jazirah State. 

“The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is deeply concerned about the escalating conflict at the doors of Wad Madani, the densely populated capital state of Al Jazirah, Sudan, where 700,000 people live, including 84,000 people who have sought refuge after fleeing Khartoum.  

“Wad Madani has been a place of refuge for those displaced from Khartoum, including for humanitarian and medical evacuation efforts. Now the fighting is approaching, and heavy artillery and gunfire have been heard for three days.  

“A continuous flow of people, many of them who already ran for their lives just a few months ago, are now rushing towards already heavily burdened and resource-depleted cities in neighbouring states. We are also extremely worried for highly vulnerable families in Wad Madani who have been crammed into displacement sites in schools for months and have nowhere to hide from violence, no means to escape and nowhere else to flee.  

"This is more than another city being attacked, it is one of Sudan’s few remaining sanctuaries that could be under fire.  

“We urgently call on all parties involved in the conflict to adhere to international humanitarian law, emphasizing that all feasible precautions must be taken to avoid and minimize the loss of civilian life and injuries, as well as damage to civilian objects. We also demand that all parties allow for the safe passage of individuals fleeing the conflict and the urgent delivery of lifesaving assistance.”    

Note to editors:  

 

* There are more than half a million people displaced within in Al Jazirah, including 145,000 people who are crammed in public buildings, such as schools.  

* At the time of writing, an estimated 15,000 people are now fleeing the city towards neighbouring states.  * About 1.9 million people are in crisis (IPC 3) and above levels of food insecurity in Al Jazirah state, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).   

* NRC is present in Wad Madani since June 2023, and supported more than 34,000 people in the city since the war.    

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:  

 

* NRC Sudan Advocacy Manager (currently in Nairobi), Mathilde Vu: mathilde.vu@nrc.no, WhatsApp +249 911 219 775  

* NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329  

Label: Sudan 

View original: https://www.nrc.no/news/2023/december/statement-on-ongoing-attack-in-al-jazirah-state-sudan/ 

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Sudan: State of emergency & curfew declared in Wad Madani, Aj Jazirah 15 Dec due to SAF & RSF fighting

UN OCHA Flash Update No: 02 

Dated Saturday, 16 December 2023. Full copy:

Clashes in Wad Medani between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF)

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Fighting broke out in the morning of 15 December between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the outskirts of Wad Madani located in Aj Jazirah State 136 km southeast of the capital Khartoum. Airstrikes were reported on 15 and 16 December in the western, northern and eastern parts of Wad Madani and in the vicinity of Alsharfa Barakat village north of the town. Sporadic shootings were heard on 15 and 16 December in various areas in Wad Madani. Clashes remain ongoing. Panic is reportedly growing among the civilians in the town and people have been seen leaving on foot. The situation remains tense and unpredictable.

According to the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), approximately 14,000 - 15,000 people have been displaced from Madani Al Kubra locality. Affected residents have sought refuge in neighborhoods westward of Wad Madani town, as well as other locations in Aj Jazirah, and towards Sennar and Gedaref states. Displacement has also taken place into Gedaref State with the arrival of approximately 1,500 IDPs in Al Fao locality, approximately 3,000 IDPs in Madeinat Al Gedaref and approximately 250 IDPs in Ar Rahad locality.

Shops and markets remain closed since 15 December in Wad Madani. Hantoob bridge in Wad Madani is partially closed by SAF as a security measure.

The local authorities announced a state of emergency and introduced a curfew in Wad Madani (from 1800hrs to 0600hrs) effective 15 December 2023 until further notice.

Wad Madani has served as a hub for humanitarian operations since fighting broke out in April this year between SAF and RSF. Humanitarian organizations have reduced their footprint in Wad Madani due to the security situation. Staff have relocated to neighboring states to be positioned to return to address the increased humanitarian caseload once the situation permits.  A suspension of all humanitarian field missions within and from Aj Jazirah State has been put in place as of 15 December until further notice.

Background

After years of protracted crisis, Sudan plunged into a conflict of alarming scale in mid-April 2023 when fighting between SAF and RSF, broke out initially in the capital Khartoum on April 15, and quickly expanded to other areas across the country. Khartoum has been the site of heavy fighting, while severe violent clashes and heavy bombardments have also been reported in the greater Darfur and Kordofan regions. The hostilities have resulted in extensive damage to critical infrastructure and facilities, including water and healthcare, the collapse of banking and financial services, frequent interruptions to electricity supply and telecommunication services and widespread looting. Since the conflict broke out, humanitarian needs have increased and almost 25 million people now require assistance in Sudan. More than 6.7 million people have been forced to leave their homes in search of safety elsewhere.

An estimated 5.9 million people live in Aj Jazirah State, Sudan’s breadbasket, with 700,000 people living in Wad Madani. More than 270,000 people in the town are in need of humanitarian assistance. Since April 15, nearly 500,000 people fled to Al Jazirah State, 86,400 of those are in Wad Madani. About 1.9 million people are in crisis (IPC 3) and above levels of food security in the state with 179,000 in Madani between October 2023 and February 2024, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). There are 57 humanitarian organizations working in the state, including 25 INGOs, 21 NNGOs and six UN agencies. So far this year humanitarian organizations have reached 730,000 people in the State with food assistance, WASH, health and other humanitarian interventions.
 
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For more information, please contact: Sofie Karlsson, Head of Communications and Analysis, OCHA Sudan, karlsson2@un.org,
Mob: +249 (0)912 174 456

Download the Flash Update here

View original: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-clashes-wad-medani-between-sudanese-armed-forces-saf-and-rapid-support-forces-rsf-flash-update-no-02-16-december-2023

UN OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)

To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.

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