The war between two generals for control of power continues to tragically tear Sudan apart. More than 20 civilians were killed on Sunday evening by falling shells on a market in Omdurman, a suburb near Khartoum, an NGO announced.
According to a statement from the Pro-Democracy Lawyers Committee which documents civilian casualties and human rights violations in the conflict, “during intense exchanges of fire between the belligerents, shells fell on a market in Omdurman.” There are also “injured” people. The day before, at least 15 civilians were killed by “shells falling on their homes” in Khartoum, the country’s capital, a medical source indicated.
More than six million displaced
Started on April 15, the war between the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and the Rapid Support Forces (FSR, paramilitary) of General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, left more than 9,000 dead according to an estimate by the NGO Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (Acled), considered largely underestimated. It also displaced more than 6 million people and destroyed most infrastructure.
Incapable of gaining a decisive advantage since the start of the war, both camps are stalling but neither intends to make any concessions at the negotiating table. Talks between the belligerents took place at the end of October in the Saudi city of Jeddah. They aimed “to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, establish ceasefires and other confidence-building measures, and move toward a permanent cessation of hostilities,” according to Riyadh.
Previous attempts at mediation resulted in only brief truces, all of which were systematically violated. Generals Burhane and Daglo had opted instead for a war of attrition, hoping to obtain greater concessions at the negotiating table, according to experts.