KHARTOUM: Sudan’s army appeared to have the upper hand as of Sunday evening in a bloody power struggle with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after the army targeted its bases with air strikes, witnesses said, while at least 59 civilians, including three UN staff, were killed.
Witnesses and residents told Reuters that the army yesterday launched air strikes on barracks and bases belonging to the Rapid Support Forces, some in the city of Omdurman, and managed to destroy most of its facilities.
They added that the army regained control of much of the presidential palace in Khartoum from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), after each side claimed control of it, along with other important facilities in the city, which is still witnessing clashes with heavy artillery and firearms.Witnesses said members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) remained inside Khartoum International Airport, which is besieged by the army and refrains from strikes to avoid serious damage.
“The hour of victory is approaching,” the army said in a statement on Sunday. The clashes covered 10 cities in 9 states, meaning they could be stretched and lasting for days.
Although the ground forces building in the army general command was almost completely burned, and smoke clouds rose from other locations inside the headquarters, the building, located in central Khartoum, is still under the control of the army, while the nearby “Rapid Support” command building witnessed massive damage and fires, and it is not clear whether it was evacuated or not.
Both sides raced yesterday to issue statements about their military progress, amid denials and counter-denials, which led to confusion in the matter of clarifying the facts, which some observers classified as war propaganda rather than facts on the ground.
A military source in the Sudanese army in Meroe said on Sunday that the rapid support vehicles fled from Merowe airport with a group of Egyptian prisoners on board, after the army elements managed to control it and captured a number of soldiers and officers.
The preliminary committee of the Sudan Doctors Syndicate said it was difficult for paramedics and patients to reach hospitals and called on the army and the Rapid Support Forces to provide safe passage
Jamal Youssef, director of the morgue at Omdurman Hospital, announced that the bodies of 28 dead people had been received, including 4 military personnel from the Sudanese army.
. Youssef said, “The morgue of Omdurman hospital received the bodies of 28 dead, including 4 army soldiers as a result of clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.”
The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors had announced, in the early hours yesterday, the killing of 56 civilians and dozens of military personnel, and the injury of 595 others, including military personnel, pointing out that some of the deaths and injuries have not been counted due to the difficulty of transferring their owners to hospitals.
On Sunday, the Sudanese army claimed that the commander of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), had escaped from his hiding place.
The Sudanese Armed Forces’ social media account posted a picture of members of the Sudanese army holding a military uniform bearing the name of the commander of the Rapid Support Forces on it, and wrote: “The escape of the rebel militia commander Hemedti from his hiding place after the escape of his guard crew and soldiers assigned to secure him, and the decision is underway.”
الجيش : هروب قائد المتمردين #حميدتي من مخبأه.#السودان pic.twitter.com/s0l2gOim2x
— Sudan News (@Sudan_tweet) April 16, 2023
On the other hand, Egypt and South Sudan expressed on Sunday their readiness to mediate between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces to reach a peaceful solution and a ceasefire in the country
الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي يتلقى اتصالًا هاتفيًا من رئيس جمهورية جنوب السودانhttps://t.co/WrC636Isnv#السيد_الرئيس_عبدالفتاح_السيسي#الجمهورية_الجديدة#موقع_الرئاسة
— رئاسة جمهورية مصر العربية (@EGPresidency_AR) April 16, 2023
The Egyptian presidency said in a statement that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received a phone call from the President of the Republic of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, during which they discussed the recent situation in Sudan.
The two Presidents appealed for an immediate ceasefire in the Sudan and appealed to all parties to calm down, give priority to the voice of wisdom and peaceful dialogue, and uphold the supreme interest of the Sudanese people.
They expressed the readiness of Egypt and South Sudan to mediate between the Sudanese parties
For its part, the Arab League demanded, on Sunday, a ceasefire and armed clashes in Sudan between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, in order to preserve the security and safety of civilians.The statement issued by the Council of the League of Arab States, at the level of permanent representatives on the ongoing developments in Sudan, called for “the need to immediately stop all armed clashes, to prevent bloodshed and to preserve the security and safety of civilians and the capabilities of the Sudanese people and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sudan.”
While Kenyan President William Ruto’s office said on Twitter that the Intergovernmental Authority on Development for East African States (IGAD) planned to send the presidents of Kenya, South Sudan and Djibouti to Sudan as soon as possible to reconcile the Sudanese military and the RSF.
For its part, the African Union announced on Sunday that its chief commissioner, Moussa Faki Mahamat, would travel “immediately” to Sudan with the aim of “involving the parties in the ceasefire.”
The African Union expressed “deep concern” over the situation, Africa News reported.
The AU also called on “the forces of the generals responsible for Sudan to protect civilians”, according to a statement issued after an emergency meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council on Sunday.
Further details of the AU’s efforts were not immediately available.
The AU also urged the warring parties to “quickly adopt a peaceful solution, inclusive dialogue to resolve their differences, and strongly reject any external interference that could complicate the situation in Sudan.”
For the second day in a row, Sudanese cities, including the capital Khartoum, are witnessing continuous armed clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The latest escalation began with the announcement of the leadership of the Sudanese “Rapid Support Forces”, in a statement Saturday morning, that the Sudanese Armed Forces attacked their positions and headquarters in Khartoum, Meroe and other cities, pointing out that the attack was responded to and inflicted “heavy losses” on the Sudanese army, as well as the control of the airport and base of Merowe and Khartoum airport.
For its part, the Sudanese army announced, in a statement on Saturday morning, that the Sudanese armed forces “repelled the attacks of the Rapid Support Forces in the Sports City area south of the capital and in several surrounding areas.”
In a subsequent statement, the Sudanese army also declared the Rapid Support Forces “rebel” forces, stating, through a statement, that “clashes are now taking place between your armed forces and the rebel Rapid Support Forces in strategic locations.”
