Sudan on Brink of Civil War: UN Warns as 22 Killed in Air Raid
Conflict-torn The United Nations warned on Sunday that Sudan is on the verge of a “full-scale civil war” that could destabilize the entire region, following an air strike on a residential area that killed approximately two dozen civilians.
The Ministry of Health reported “22 civilian deaths and a large number of civilian injuries” as a result of the attack on Khartoum’s sister city Omdurman in the district of Dar al-Salam, which in Arabic means “House of Peace.”
After nearly three months of conflict between rival Sudanese generals, the air strike is the most recent incident to spark outrage.
Approximately three thousand people have been slain in the conflict, survivors have reported a wave of sexual violence, and witnesses have described ethnically targeted murders.
In the Darfur region, there has been widespread looting, and the United Nations has warned of probable crimes against humanity.
A video posted by the health ministry on Facebook depicted several women who appeared to be motionless after the airstrike.
According to the narrator, residents “counted 22 dead.” The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who were engaged in combat with the regular army, alleged that the strike resulted in 31 deaths.
Since the beginning of the conflict, paramilitaries have established bases in residential areas and have been accused of forcing civilians to abandon their homes.
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Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the air strike in Omdurman, which he said “reportedly killed at least 22 people” and injured dozens, according to a statement by his deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.
Haq stated that Guterres “remains gravely concerned that the ongoing conflict between the armed forces has brought Sudan to the verge of a full-scale civil war, which could destabilize the entire region.”
He added, “There is a dangerous and disturbing disregard for humanitarian and human rights law.”
According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 700,000 people have fled to neighboring countries as a result of the conflict in Sudan, which has displaced nearly three million people.
The United Nations and African blocs have warned of an “ethnic dimension” to the conflict in Darfur’s western region, where the United States, Norway, and the United Kingdom have blamed the RSF and allied militia for the majority of pervasive violations.
Haq expressed support for the endeavors of the African Union and IGAD to end the crisis in Sudan. On Monday, the leaders of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan — IGAD members responsible for the Sudan issue — will convene in Addis Ababa.
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander of the Sudanese army, and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the commander of the RSF, have been invited, but neither party has confirmed that they will attend. Numerous ceasefires have been declared and disregarded during the conflict.
Sudan on Brink of Civil War: UN Warns as 22 Killed in Air Raid
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