Recent fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitary forces threatens civilians and humanitarian operations, the United States warned on Saturday, calling on militants to halt their advance toward Wad Madani, a city where tens of thousands of Sudanese are refugees.
According to the United Nations, nearly half a million displaced people have found refuge in Sudan's Gezira state, including more than 86,000 in the capital Wad Madani.
But fighting broke out in the city on Friday between Sudanese forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries, leading the United Nations humanitarian agency to suspend aid to the state “until further notice.”
“Wad Madani has become a refuge for displaced civilians and an important hub for international humanitarian assistance. The RSF’s continued advance risks causing numerous civilian casualties and significantly impacting humanitarian relief efforts,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
“We urge the RSF to immediately halt its advance into Gezira State and refrain from attacks on Wad Madani,” Miller added.
Since April, troops loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhane have been at war with paramilitary Rapid Support Forces under the command of his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The conflict that broke out on April 15 claimed more than 12,190 lives, according to a largely underestimated estimate by the NGO Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).
According to the United Nations, more than 5.4 million people have also been displaced and around 1.3 million people have fled abroad.