Sudan’s SAF And RSF Fighting Kills Thousands, Displaces 10 Million

The conflict in Sudan between the Forces armées soudanaises (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitaries of the Forces de soutien rapide (RSF) led by General Mohamed Hamdan « Hemedti » Dagalo entered its onzième mois.

“Meetings organised by the ‘quintet’ group in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa from June 3 to 5, aimed at bringing together all Sudanese parties who did not take part in Third International Conference on Sudan in Berlin on May 15, are in jeopardy, as several alliances, political parties, and civil forces have declined invitations to attend in protest against the involvement of new forces and “the flooding of the political process,” Radio Dabanga has learned”

Dabanga Radio TV Online

ISS Africa says the fighting has already caused more than 12 000 deaths and triggered the “plus grande vague de déplacements de l’histoire du pays,” with at least 10 million people fleeing their homes and about 25 million needing humanitarian aid and protection.

Dabanga Radio TV Online

VOA Afrique reports that since April 15, the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary forces of General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo have repeatedly stated their aim to 'win or die.'

VOA Afrique adds that “at least 3,900 people have died,” and that UNICEF says “at least 435 children” were among the dead, while at least 2,025 others were injured.

ISS Africa also says the fighting has resumed in regions known for their precarité, “en particulier le Darfour et le Kordofan,” as the conflict threatens stability in the Horn of Africa and Central Africa.

ISS Africa says the African Union president of the Commission, Moussa Faki, named an ad hoc high-level group on Sudan composed of Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe and Francisco Madeira, with the goal to “garantir un processus inclusif en vue du rétablissement rapide de la paix, de l’ordre constitutionnel et de la stabilité au Soudan”.

ISS Africa frames the group’s mandate as requiring work with “la société civile, les militaires et les acteurs régionaux et internationaux comme l’IGAD, l’ONU et la Ligue des États arabes,” while noting that many doubt it can end the war in a complex context.

ISS Africa

Dabanga Radio TV Online reports that meetings organised by the ‘quintet’ group in Addis Ababa from June 3 to 5 are aimed at bringing together Sudanese parties who did not take part in Third International Conference on Sudan in Berlin on May 15, but that alliances and civil forces declined invitations.

Dabanga Radio TV Online quotes Taher El Mutassim, editor-in-chief of Al-Umma, saying: “The meetings called by the Quintet group in Addis Ababa on June 3, will not succeed,” and describes the effort as “a drowning of the political process with multiple fronts”.

Dabanga Radio TV Online also records a warning from the People’s Congress Party led by Dr Ali el Hajj that participation of elements linked to the National Congress Party would “discredit the meeting, undermine dialogue, and may push political forces to refrain from attending”.

VOA Afrique says more than 3.3 million people have fled their homes in Sudan, including more than 700,000 abroad, and that “millions more have fallen into hunger.”

“Representing the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the Prime Minister, Sifi Ghrieb, participated this Sunday in the meeting of Heads of State and Government of the African Union's High-Level Specialized Committee on South Sudan (C5), held in Addis Ababa on the occasion of the AU's 39th summit”

L'Algérie Aujourd'hui

VOA Afrique adds that “Now more than half of the 48 million Sudanese people need humanitarian aid to survive,” but that NGOs and the UN are struggling to help due to lack of permission from authorities and funding from international donors.

VOA Afrique quotes the Norwegian Refugee Council saying: 'Sudan is on the brink of collapse, grappling with a series of crises that, combined, are unprecedented.'

VOA Afrique also warns that “The first 100 days of war brought terror and desolation, and the next 100 will surely be worse,” adding that the violence shows no sign of weakening and that the coming weeks could bring “devastating floods, displacements and epidemics.”

ISS Africa says the conflict’s regional consequences are severe, stating that “La situation met en péril la stabilité de la Corne de l’Afrique et de l’Afrique centrale,” while also describing how diplomatic action is “désorganisée” and peace efforts are “en grande partie non coordonnés”.