A fresh outbreak of violence in North Darfur state has claimed at least 40 lives, according to activists and local residents.
Fighting intensified in Khartoum after a ceasefire agreement expired, and violence erupted in Sudan’s restive Darfur region, reportedly killing dozens in what was described as “utter lawlessness”.
Black smoke billowed over the capital on Sunday after the ceasefire between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) expired hours earlier, live television footage showed.
“In southern Khartoum we live in fear of heavy bombing, the noise of anti-aircraft guns and power outages,” resident Sara Hassan, 34, said over the phone. “We’re in real hell.”
Fighting in the capital has resulted in widespread damage and looting, a collapse in health services, power and water cuts and dwindling food supplies.
The RSF claimed it shot down a fighter jet after the army launched “a daring airstrike on our forces’ positions” in northern Khartoum.
A military source said a Chinese-made jet crashed near the Wadi Seidna base north of Khartoum due to a “technical malfunction”.
Witnesses said they saw a plane flying from the south to the north of the capital and flames erupted. Others spoke of air raids on RSF positions east of the city, with some civilian casualties reported.
Other areas where fighting was reported included central and southern Khartoum and Bahri, across the Blue Nile to the north.
The truce brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States somewhat calmed street fighting and allowed limited humanitarian access, but like previous truces, it was repeatedly violated. Talks about extending the ceasefire collapsed on Friday.
The deadly power struggle that erupted in Sudan on April 15 has sparked a major humanitarian crisis, with more than 1.2 million people internally displaced and another 400,000 fleeing to neighboring countries.
It also threatens to destabilize the entire region.
“Completely Out of Control”
Outside the capital, deadly fighting also erupted in the Darfur region in Sudan’s far west, which is already grappling with ongoing unrest and major humanitarian challenges.
Eyewitnesses said heavy fighting on Friday and Saturday wreaked havoc in Kutum, one of North Darfur’s largest cities and commercial hubs.
At least 40 people were killed and dozens more injured, including residents of the Kassab camp, which houses people displaced by previous unrest, said the Darfur Bar Association, which oversees rights in the region.
The army denied claims that the RSF, which was formed out of Darfur militias and has its power base in the region, took over Kutum.
Darfur Governor Mini Minawi – a former rebel leader who is now close to the army – tweeted to denounce “looting” by armed groups, declared Darfur a “disaster area” and appealed to the international community for help.
West Darfur Governor Khamis Abakar said Sunday his state was in “utter lawlessness”. “Armed men have taken over everything and the situation is completely out of control,” he said.
Saudi Arabia and the United States said they would continue to work on a daily basis with army and RSF delegations who remained in Jeddah, even though talks on extending the ceasefire were suspended last week.
“These talks are focused on facilitating humanitarian assistance and reaching agreement on short-term steps the parties must take before talks resume in Jeddah,” the two countries said in a statement.
RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, said in a Facebook post he was on the phone with the Saudi foreign minister to discuss mediation efforts in Jeddah.
Hemedti’s whereabouts are unclear, although he was seen in video footage with his troops in central Khartoum early in the fighting.