413 dead; 3,551 injured. Only functioning hospital in Fasher N. Darfur is overwhelmed with 279 wounded

SADLY, the UN's World Health Organisation says past 7 days of Sudan's fighting has left 413 dead and 3,551 injured. An American is one of the dead. A UN staffer has been killed in crossfire. Condolences. Rest in Peace + + +

Here are some reports posted at BBC World Service Africa Live page today.

Each report is timestamped GMT UK. Click on timestamp to read report.

Some links in the morning are not working well, afternoon ones are working.

Troops are seen patrolling in Khartoum amid sporadic fighting in defiance of a truce call. Outside pressure mounts for Eid ceasefire in Sudan.

Summary

07:22 Sudan leader keeps mum on ceasefire despite his unity call

07:33 No Ethiopia clashes with Sudan forces - PM Abiy Ahmed

09:14 South Koreans 'expected to be evacuated from Sudan'

09:56 Sporadic fighting continues in Sudan capital

10:37 How unsung heroes are keeping Sudanese alive

10:48 Sudan soldiers deployed 'to comb Khartoum's streets'

11:22 Death toll rises to 413 in Sudan fighting - WHO

12:51 Sudan hospital in Darfur overwhelmed with wounded

13:32 Rivals reducing Sudan to ‘rubble and ash’ - German FM

15:28 Heavy skirmishes in residential areas of Khartoum

16:07 Sudan UN staffer killed in crossfire

17:21 European Union mulling Sudan evacuation plan

17:56 Sudan army tweets agreement to three-day Eid truce

18:21 Students' Eid meal scuppered by Sudan gun battle

18:23 Street battles dash hopes of Sudan Eid ceasefire

18:56 RSF soldiers celebrate after fighting in Sudan - VIDEO

19:08 Heavy gunfire reported despite Sudan army Eid truce

19:32 Plea to government to bring woman home from Sudan

19:33 A vibrant city suffers: Uncovering Khartoum's civilian crisis - Khartoum fighting mapped

View the reports here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/africa/live

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Report from BBC World Service Africa Live web page - full copy

Published Friday 21 April 2023

Sudan soldiers deployed 'to comb Khartoum's streets'

Sudan's army has said it will continue operations against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RFS) in the capital, Khartoum, despite a 72-hour ceasefire call from the rival forces, according to an military statement reported by several news site, including Saudi-owned Al Arabiya.

The army said it had launched "intensive strikes" on Friday against RFS, noting that the operations would continue across Khartoum, Sudanese news outlet al-Mashhad al-Sudani reports.

It said thousands of soldiers have been deployed to undertake the "combing operations" in the capital.

On Friday morning, the army was tweeting clips of its troops on the streets of the city.

Sudan News website said violent clashes continued in Omdurman, in the west of Khartoum, with "heavy weapons".

Ahmed Mamoun, a Khartoum resident, posted footage and photos of soldiers patrolling several streets in the capital.

View original here published 10:48 GMT BST UK

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Report from BBC World Service Africa Live web page - full copy

Published Friday 21 April 2023 at 12:51 GMT BST UK: 

Sudan hospital in Darfur overwhelmed with wounded

The only functioning hospital in Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, is overwhelmed with patients injured during heavy fighting between rival military factions, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says.

The medical charity’s Cyrus Paye said his team in Fasher had repurposed a maternity hospital to receive the wounded as all other hospitals in the city had had to close because of their proximity to the fighting, or the inability of staff to reach them.

The maternity South Hospital has received 279 wounded patients since the clashes began on Saturday.

Quote Message: Tragically, 44 have died. The situation is catastrophic. The majority of the wounded are civilians who were hit by stray bullets, and many of them are children.

Quote Message: Many need blood transfusions. There are so many patients that they are being treated on the floor in the corridors because there simply aren’t enough beds to accommodate the vast number of wounded." from MSF's Cyrus Paye 

MSF's Cyrus Paye

Cyrus Paye gave his account over the phone to MSF colleagues, saying he could hear gunfire from their compound

The hospital was rapidly running out of supplies - as airports were closed as was with the border with Chad, which neighbours Darfur, the MSF project co-ordinator explained.

Quote Message: If the situation doesn’t change and humanitarian access is not granted, there will be even greater loss of life.”

MSFCopyright: MSF

Image caption: The medical team at South Hospital are overwhelmed and have been working round the clock

Image caption: Cyrus Paye gave his account over the phone to MSF colleagues, saying he could hear gunfire from their compound

View original here.

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#NoToWar - Heroes aid Khartoum "You are welcome" - Hadhreen "We are present and ready to help"

Here is some heartwarming news. Warning: It brings tears to ones eyes.

Report from: BBC News

By Mohanad Hashim & Lucy Fleming

Published Friday 21 April 2023 c.11:26 GMT BST UK. Full copy:

Sudan fighting: The unsung heroes keeping Khartoum residents alive

As two generals slug it out in Sudan with little thought to the devastation they are causing, there is a whole grassroots network of people tirelessly helping those caught in the crossfire.

"Anyone know a family in need of foodstuffs within the borders of Omdurman al-Thawrat?" tweets a dental student in the capital, Khartoum. The message goes on to give out a number, saying flour, rice and pasta are available.

Khartoum and its surrounds has a population of around 10 million people and for nearly a week they have had no water or electricity, most hunkering down inside - away from windows in case of incoming fire. Most of the city's hospitals are closed and more than 300 civilians have been killed.

To get any supplies people must venture outside to find a shop that has some stock - and there are accounts of a dreadful stench now coming from the dead bodies that litter the streets.

WhatsApp groups, Facebook and Twitter are alive with offers of help for those who find themselves without food or medication or giving information about safe routes to leave the city. Most of them - and those messages with pleas for help - are accompanied by the hashtag #NoToWar.

"Currently, we have 750 food baskets available. One basket is enough for a family of six people," another Khartoum tweeter posts.

Others have been collating invaluable information, like a lengthy list sent out by @Jia_Elhassan about where water can currently be found in different areas of the city.

This message accompanies an address and phone number listed as one of five places in Omdurman: "Anyone who needs water, our house is open for them 24 hours."

REUTERS Image caption, People are desperate to find water with many areas cut off since Saturday

Someone else puts out a tweet with a photo of insulin pens available, along with his phone number.

'Terrified orphans at risk'

Much of this altruism is led by young volunteers operating at a local neighbourhood level by what are called "resistance committees". There are thousands of them across the country.

They have been the backbone of a pro-democracy movement that rose up following the ousting of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir in 2019, calling for a return to full civilian rule.

IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES

Image caption, Civilians are bearing the burnt of the fighting as rival military factions bombard each other

Their task has mainly been to organise peaceful protests against the military junta. Last Sunday, the co-ordinating body of Khartoum's resistance committees sent out a message to "revolutionaries in the neighbourhoods" asking them to prepare to help fellow residents.

In particular they were asked to form "medical rooms to deal with possible injuries", to monitor food supplies and "raise the slogan #NoToWar".

"The only ones to lose from war are the people, so let us unite to overcome that," the message said.

Small charities like Hadhreen, which translates from Arabic as "We are present and ready to help", have also been instrumental in trying to co-ordinate help for those in need.

When Nazim Sirag, who heads Hadhreen, heard about more than 300 terrified children at an orphanage in Khartoum in need of food, water and medicine. He tweeted: "We can't provide milk for new-born babies, everyone is afraid."

In response to our query via WhatsApp if any help had been found through his network, he says: "We are trying to reach them. Till now we failed. Everyone in Sudan is scared to go out," adding that the orphanage was in one of the "hot areas".

"Tomorrow we have [to] try early in the morning. Wish us luck."

Mr Sirag has been instrumental since the 2021 coup in liaising with Sudanese doctors unions in the diaspora as he sought to get medical help abroad for some of those injured in pro-democracy protests.

These diaspora medics have long been key to propping up Sudan's precarious health system over years of economic decline.

Mohamed Hamadto, a trauma surgeon and treasurer of the Sudan Doctors Union in the UK, told the BBC his group has tended to focus on training initiatives, but since the outbreak of violence last Saturday they had been raising funds to send to the main Sudanese Doctors Union in Khartoum and collecting supplies they hope to fly in when the situation allows.

So far they have received about £9,000 ($11,000) from donations - and this money will help the central doctors union buy supplies privately for clinics being repurposed on the outskirts of Khartoum as most of the city's 59 hospitals are now closed because of the fighting.

"These hospitals on the periphery need to be ready for increasing numbers of civilian victims," Dr Hamadto says, with some reports suggesting up to 600 people have now died.

As do small neighbourhood health centres.

"I was just speaking to one of my colleagues and she's trying to get her resistance committee to set up a local health centre so they can provide basic first aid to people who are injured because the area she lives in is bombarded heavily," he says.

This is in al-Siteen Street, not far from the airport and army headquarters where the battles are raging.

The Sudanese Doctors Union will then be able to provide bandages, fluids, antibiotics and other basics to her health centre for trauma injuries.

'My cousin broke my heart'

Relatives abroad are also focusing their help on the doctors.

"Everything is closed. There's zero point in sending money [to our family]," Ahmed Abdel-Elrazig, a third-year maths and economic undergraduate at the University of Toronto, told the BBC on Thursday.

"Right now it's the holy month of Ramadan. I was on a call to one of my cousins and they broke my heart - they told me that even after they broke their fast they still were hungry because they were rationing food.

IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES

Image caption, A week before the fighting, Ramadan revellers enjoyed the breaking of their fast. Now Eid prayers have been cancelled in many mosques

He is part of the Canadian university's Sudanese Students Union, set up last year with about 100 members. A few days ago the union put up a Sudan crisis crowdfunding page.

"We're trying to do our best to hit our goal right now to raise $10,000… so all injured civilians do have the medical attention that they do require. We're currently partnered with the Sudanese Doctors Union," he says.

"This is the bare minimum that we can do - I still feel extremely helpless."

Fellow student union member Fawzia Elhad, majoring in political science and psychology, agrees as she worries about her parents and siblings in Khartoum.

"There is a lot of uncertainty - and they don't know now whether to leave the capital."

Those in cities outside Khartoum are reaching out with offers of accommodation for people who do manage to leave - a journey fraught with danger.

"I am your brother from Rufa'ah and I can provide housing with 100 beds, electricity and water for people," someone 140km (85 miles) south-east of Khartoum in El Gazira state tweets.

An organiser in that state's capital, Wad Medani, sent out a list with the names and numbers of six people willing to provide "housing, food and everything" for those fleeing.

This warmth of spirit - such a stark contrast to the men in uniform - is best summed up by a youth group in Atbara, a city about 300km north-east of Khartoum, which posts a link to join a WhatsApp group to help receive those escaping from the capital, beginning with the words: "You are welcome."

View original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-65344673

[Ends]

WAR CRIMES AND HUMANITARIAN CRISES ALERT: ICC must indict Sudanese leaders Burhan and Daglo

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: 

Over the past twenty years I have been behind this screen watching and waiting for peace and civilian rule to blossom in Sudan and South Sudan. 

During the latter part of Mr Bashir's presidency I posted here saying I disagreed with him being indicted because the time was not right. In those days Sudan was ruled by tribal leaders and warriors such as Musa Hilal. 

Now I believe the time is right to arrest Sudan's current leaders Messrs Burhan and Daglo. If they are not, I believe, given their history and psychopathy, there will be humanitarian crises unlike anything before. Rule of law will evaporate, looting and civil disobedience will reign.

In my view, we are now witnessing the start of humanitarian crises in and around Sudan while Russia aims for a naval base in Port Sudan on Red Sea for ships with nuclear capability in exchange for military equipment.

All I can think to do is use this blog as a lighthouse flashing a light into a dark stormy sea with sirens warning not to believe a word from Burhan and Daglo. Their evilness and greed knows no bounds. They may end up like Libya's Gadaffi and must be removed from their thrones while alive.

In short, I believe it is now up to the ICC to have these two serial killers arrested and put in the dock in The Hague to answer for the atrocities of the past 20 years in Sudan starting with Darfur in western Sudan.

Longtime readers of Sudan Watch, of which there are many around the world, will know I am not a political activist or doing this for personal gain. I am an anti-poverty campaigner wanting peace to flourish in Sudan.

A few minutes ago I emailed this post to the ICC. I state it here for the record so whatever transpires from now on they can't say they were not warned. The ICC must act now or be dismantled as a waste of money.

God bless the people of Sudan, keep them safe and well with food and water, medical care and security. This time, thanks to progress in technology and satellite communications, the world really is watching.

[Ends]

Sudan fighting continues despite ceasefire. 200 killed. Residents trapped at home, low on food, water, meds

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Yellow highlighting in these reports is mine. Also, a report I have added below shows the United Kingdom is the penholder on Sudan; The US is the penholder on South Sudan, Sudan/South Sudan, Sudan sanctions and South Sudan Sanctions (Source here and here).

Here is a general summary of the BBC's live reporting on Sudan today:

Witnesses say ceasefire broken within minutes

Soldiers loot homes in Sudan capital, say witnesses

Aid workers attacked and sexually abused, says UN

Sudan health system at risk of collapse - aid group

Humanitarians are trapped by fighting - MSF

US speaks to Sudan's rival generals

State-owned radio still off air in Sudan

US diplomatic convoy attacked in Sudan - Blinken

Here is a photo taken in Sudan of people leaving the capital in search of safety. 

Read the above reports here: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-64393826

Here is a full copy of one of the reports:

10:46

State-owned radio still off air in Sudan

BBC Monitoring

The world through its media

The state-owned Sudan Radio - also known as Radio Omdurman - has remained silent since Saturday.

It is unclear why, as this station broadcasts and operates from the same premises as the state TV channel, which resumed broadcasts on Monday morning having been off air for more than 20 hours.

Reels of patriotic music and footage of the army's victories have been played on TV, and in a statement on Facebook the Sudanese army said it had retaken control of the TV premises from the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

State TV also aired a statement by the RSF's spokesman, Naj al-Din Ismael, saying he had defected from the paramilitary group and joined the national army.

Journalists in Sudan have told the BBC as fighting continues there is also a propaganda war between the rival factions of the military, which is largely being fought on social media.

View original here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-64393826?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=643e5e44457ab20a78fe5ff2%26State-owned%20radio%20still%20off%20air%20in%20Sudan%262023-04-18T09%3A46%3A29%2B00%3A00&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:a665c275-b32b-407a-b0ed-510f5df0ab8d&pinned_post_asset_id=643e5e44457ab20a78fe5ff2&pinned_post_type=share

_________________________________________________________

Here is a full copy of a report from BBC News online

By Mohamed Osman & Cecilia Macaulay

BBC News, In Khartoum & London

Published Tuesday 18 April 2023 19:24 GMT BST UK

Sudan fighting continues despite ceasefire

Combat around the army HQ goes on as residents hoped for a 24-hour respite to get food and water. 

A fourth day of fighting raged as residents remained trapped in their homes

Fighting is continuing in areas of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, despite a ceasefire due to start at 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT).

In particular the battle has not stopped around the army headquarters, which is in the city centre and is surrounded by residential areas.

Two rival generals at the heart of the conflict had agreed to a 24-hour humanitarian pause to allow civilians to get medical help and supplies.

Residents are low on food and water.

Earlier on Tuesday, a woman living in Khartoum told the BBC that she has no more drinking water left in her home: "This morning we ran out."

Duaa Tariq said only one bottle remained, which was exclusively for her two-year-old child, as her family crammed into a "tiny corridor" to avoid gunfire.

"Most of the people [that] died, died in their houses with random bullets and missiles, so it's better to avoid exposed places in the house" like windows, Ms Tariq said.

• BBC Africa Live: Updates from the continent

Nearly 200 people have been killed in the fighting so far.

Half an hour before the ceasefire was due to start, Khartoum residents were shocked to hear that three children - brothers living in the east of the city - had been killed in a bombardment.

Residents broke their Muslim Ramadan fast just after 18:00 local time to the sound of gunfire, with eyewitnesses in Bahri, in the north of the city, saying aircraft were flying overhead.

Another woman in Khartoum told the BBC that heavy weapons fire continued well after the ceasefire was due to come into effect. She described how earlier in the day she had escaped with her one-year-old child from her home as it was being struck by missiles.

Even if the fighting does die down in the next 24 hours, it is unlikely to be enough time for civilians to seek help, with the Red Cross saying the health system is on the verge of collapse.

The aid group said it has been receiving multiple calls for help from people trapped in their homes in a city that has an estimated population of 10 million residents, with most struggling to cope without electricity.

Fighting has also been taking place elsewhere in Sudan, including in Darfur to the west.

The UN aid chief has warned of reports that say humanitarian workers are being attacked and sexually assaulted.

"This is unacceptable and must stop," Mr Griffith's tweeted, after the time the ceasefire was expected to have been implemented.

The fighting is between army units loyal to the de facto leader, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, a notorious paramilitary force commanded by Sudan's deputy leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti.

View original including BBC's map showing fighting at key locations in Khartoum city centre and update at 22:19 re-titled 'Hopes crumble for a pause in fighting in Sudan'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-65317693

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Here is a full copy of a report from What's In Blue 

Insights on the work of the UN Security Council

Published Monday 17 April 2023. 

Sudan: Meeting under “Any Other Business”

Today (17 April), following the closed consultations on Yemen, Security Council members will discuss the situation in Sudan under “any other business”, at the request of the UK (the penholder on the file). Special Representative and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes is expected to brief.

Perthes is expected to update Council members on the latest developments in Sudan after fighting erupted in the morning of 15 April in and around Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), headed by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s military leader and Chairperson of the Transitional Sovereign Council, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council. According to local media reports, fighting initially erupted in the Soba suburb, south of Khartoum, and then spread to several strategic areas in the capital, including Sudan’s presidential palace, the headquarters of the state television, Khartoum International Airport, and the military’s headquarters.

Multiple media outlets have reported that fighting has continued for the third day today (17 April) between the SAF and RSF in Khartoum and other parts of the country. At the time of writing, the hostilities had reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 74 civilians and more than 600 injuries. Three World Food Programme (WFP) humanitarian aid workers also lost their lives as a result of the fighting.

The fighting follows months of rising tensions between the SAF and RSF. The two factions had formerly cooperated closely; the RSF participated in the 2019 coup d’état that ousted former President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. After the 2019 coup, Dagalo became the deputy of the Transitional Military Council, which then transferred its powers to the Transitional Sovereign Council. The RSF then also participated in the October 2021 coup, following which the Transitional Sovereign Council seized power.

The tensions between al-Burhan and Dagalo came to a head several weeks ago, owing to disagreements over the final agreement on a political transition, including on key security and military reforms. On 5 December 2022, a broad grouping of Sudan’s civilian political actors and its military leadership signed the Sudan Political Framework Agreement, which is aimed at paving the way for a two-year, civilian-led transition ahead of elections. On 8 January, its signatories launched the final phase of talks aimed at reaching a “final and just” political settlement under the facilitation of the Trilateral Mechanism—comprised of the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and UNITAMS. (For background, see our 19 March What’s in Blue story.) The sides were initially expected to sign the final agreement on 1 April, but this was postponed to 6 April.

Afterwards, the signing was postponed indefinitely because of disagreement between Dagalo and al-Burhan over the reintegration of the RSF into the armed forces and their command and control, according to local media reports. In an 8 April statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that Sudan remains at a “decisive juncture” and that “all efforts must now go to get the political transition back on the right path”. He urged all parties to overcome obstacles on security sector reform and avoid any delays in the signing of the political agreement.

Last week, the SAF began deploying troops inside Khartoum and Merowe town in Northern State. In a 13 April statement, SAF Spokesperson Nabil Abdallah said that the deployment of RSF forces had been done without the approval or coordination of the armed forces and may lead to the collapse of security in the country.

On 15 April, Security Council members issued a press statement expressing deep concern over the clashes between the SAF and RSF and the resulting deaths and injuries. They urged the parties to cease hostilities, to restore calm, and to pursue dialogue in order to resolve the ongoing crisis in the country. Council members stressed the importance of maintaining humanitarian access and ensuring the safety of UN personnel. The statement reaffirmed Council members’ commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Sudan.

On 15 April, Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement that strongly condemned the outbreak of fighting between the SAF and RSF in Sudan. He called on SAF and RSF leaders to immediately cease hostilities, restore calm, and initiate a dialogue to resolve the current crisis in the country. The statement further noted that Guterres is engaging with leaders in the region and called on regional countries to support efforts to restore order and return to the path of transition.

On 16 April, the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) met to consider the situation in Sudan. In a communiqué adopted following the meeting, the AUPSC strongly condemned the ongoing armed confrontation between the SAF and RSF throughout Sudan. The AUPSC called on both sides to commit to an immediate ceasefire without conditions, to protect civilians, and to provide humanitarian support to civilians. It urged regional countries and other stakeholders to support ongoing efforts to return the country to the transition process aimed at restoring constitutional order. The AUPSC further decided that it will undertake a “field mission” to Sudan to engage with all Sudanese stakeholders on the situation in the country. It requested the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, to continue using his good offices to engage with the parties to facilitate dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Sudan.

On 16 April, the IGAD Summit of Heads of State and Government convened for an extraordinary emergency session to discuss the situation in Sudan. During the meeting, IGAD decided to send South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh, and Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to Sudan “at the earliest possible time” to “reconcile the conflicting groups”.

On 16 April, the SAF and RSF agreed to a proposal, advanced by Perthes and the Trilateral Mechanism, to commit to a three-hour temporary pause in fighting on humanitarian grounds, ending mid-day on 16 April. Media outlets reported that despite the agreement on a pause, heavy fire was heard in central Khartoum.

In a 16 April statement, Guterres condemned the deaths and injuries of civilians and called for those responsible to be held accountable. The statement further noted that the UN and other humanitarian premises had been hit by projectiles and looted in several locations in Darfur. Following the deaths of the WFP workers, WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain issued a statement demanding immediate steps to guarantee the safety of  humanitarian workers in the country. She noted that, in a separate incident, one WFP-managed UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) aircraft was significantly damaged at Khartoum International Airport during an exchange of gunfire on 15 April. She said that the WFP was halting all its operations in Sudan while the security situation is being reviewed.

View original here: 

https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2023/04/sudan-meeting-under-any-other-business-3.php

About What's In Blue When the Security Council approaches the final stage of negotiation of a draft resolution the text is printed in blue. What's In Blue is a series of insights produced by Security Council Report on evolving Security Council actions. These insights supplement the SCR Monthly Forecasts and other reports and are designed to help interested UN readers keep up with what might soon be “in blue.” Learn more.

[Ends]

Message to ICC: Sudan's leaders are fighting each other while killing fellow citizens and aid workers

From:  BBC News LIVE REPORTING

Monday 17 April 2023 10:47 GMT UK 

By James Copnall, BBC Sudan analyst

Conflict intensifying and peace in short term unlikley

My guess is a negotiated solution to this conflict  is not likely to happen, in the short term at any rate.

Over the weekend, General Hemeti of the Rapid Support Force (RSF) called Sudanese army General Burhan a dog, talked about hunting him down and called him a criminal - while the army have basically said they will not stop until the RSF is dissolved.

While these are statements from a few days ago, they show the mindset both sides have right now.

It's also my feeling that the intensity of the conflict has increased today, certainly compared to yesterday.

Speaking to friends in Khartoum, Omdurman and other places, they are talking about air strikes carried out by the Sudanese armed forces.

Presumably they are targeting RSF bases, who are then firing back up at the planes.

So this is urban warfare between two heavily armed forces and neither sides appears willing to back down.

My initial feeling is we're likely to see a lot more fighting over the next few days and perhaps when it becomes clear which side will win, perhaps we will get closer to talks.

Although it's a difficult picture to fully discern, it seems like the Sundanese military have the upper hand - backed by that air power.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-65285254

[Ends]

Violence spreads in Sudan with nearly 100 dead

Fierce clashes across Sudan have left an estimated 97 people dead, with up to 1,100 people injured. 

It's the third day of violence between rival armed factions, part of a vicious power struggle within the country's military leadership. 

The army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, disagree over how the country should transition to civilian rule. 

Both sides claim to control key sites in capital city Khartoum, where people have been sheltering from explosions. 

One resident, Kholood Khair, told the BBC: "There are lots of people in and around their homes [...] that have been either hurt or killed by a stray bullet." 

Doctors say the fighting is stopping both staff and medical supplies reaching injured people.

Read full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-65293538