NEARLY 100 PEOPLE DEAD ACROSS SUDAN

Mon 17 Apr 2023:

Explosions continued in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, as fighting between the regular army and paramilitary group RSF raged for a third day with the death toll rising to nearly 100.

The violence erupted on Saturday after weeks of power struggles between Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the RSF.

“The death toll among civilians in clashes since it began on Saturday … has reached 97,” the doctors’ union said in a statement early Monday, noting the figure does not include all casualties as many people could not reach hospitals due to difficulties in movement.

RSF’s Hemedti says international community must intervene

Sudanese paramilitary leader General Dagalo, also known as Hemeti, said the international community must intervene against what he called “the crimes of Sudanese General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan”.

“His army is waging a brutal campaign against innocent people, bombing them with MiGs”, Hemeti wrote on Twitter.

‘Heavy artillery’ being used in Khartoum: AJ correspondent

Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reporting from Khartoum said fighting in the capital has not stopped since the early hours of the morning.

“We can still hear heavy artillery especially from the northern and southern part of the capital,” she said.

“There is fighting going on in front of gates the general headquarters of the army, a major army facility the RSF has trying to take control of since Saturday. Taking that over would effectively mean taking over the army itself.”

Morgan said there is still fighting ongoing in the nearby city of Omburdman as well with use of fighters jets by the army and anti-aircraft missiles by the RSF.

Death of WFP workers ‘appalling’ says UN chief

The United Nations chief has condemned the killing of several World Food Programme employees in Sudan, calling the deaths “appalling”.

“Those responsible should be brought to justice without delay. Humanitarian workers are not a target,” he posted on Twitter.

WFP suspended relief operations in Sudan after three employees were killed and two injured in clashes in Kabkabiya in North Darfur.

Appalling.

The ongoing clashes in Sudan have resulted in the deaths & injuries of civilians, including 3 of our @WFP colleagues killed while carrying out their work.

Those responsible should be brought to justice without delay.

Humanitarian workers are #NotATarget.

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 16, 2023

People want military ‘back in barracks’: Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed his call for a truce and a return to negotiations for the warring parties in Sudan during a meeting of G7 nations.

“People in Sudan want the military back in the barracks,” he said. “They want democracy. They want the civilian-led government, Sudan needs to return to that path.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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