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ConflictsSudan

UN says Sudan on brink of 'full-scale civil war'

July 9, 2023

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Sudan is edging ever closer to outright civil war. He also condemned an air strike that killed more than 20 people and widespread violence in Darfur.

https://p.dw.com/p/4TdXS
Smoke and destruction the city of Al Fasher in North Darfur
Darfur has been one of the flashpoints in fighting since April, along with the capital, KhartoumImage: Stringer/IMAGESLIVE via ZUMA Press Wire/picture alliance

The United Nations chief on Sunday warned that the "ongoing war between the armed forces has pushed Sudan to the brink of a full-scale civil war, potentially destabilizing the entire region."

Guterres made his assessment in a statement that also condemned a deadly air strike in Sudan's Omdurman city a day earlier.

What else did the UN chief say?

"There is an utter disregard for humanitarian and human rights law that is dangerous and disturbing," Guterres said in the statement, relayed by his deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.

Gutteres was also said to be appalled by reports of large-scale violence and casualties across Sudan's Darfur region where the UN has warned of possible crimes against humanity , as well as North Kordofan, South Kordofan and the southern Blue Nile State.

The Secretary-General reiterated his appeal for the Sudanese Armed Forces and its rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to stop fighting and commit to a lasting end to hostilities.

Guterres condemned an air strike on Saturday that was reported to have killed at least 22 people in the capital Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman, which lies on the other side of the Nile.

The RSF claimed the attack killed 31 people.

Thousands dead in conflilct

Sudan descended into chaos in mid-April after months of tension between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his rival Mohammed Hamdan Daga burst into open fighting.

UN condemns Sudan armed conflict

The RSF and associated militia have established bases in residential areas, and have been accused of forcing civilians from their homes, since the war began.

The Russian private military Wagner Group is believed to have links with the RSF, as opposed to the regular army, although Wagner denies this.

There were reports of air strikes near the presidential palace in central Khartoum on Sunday, as well as machine gun and artillery fire in the southern part of the city.

More than 3,000 people are believed to have been killed in the conflict, with reports of sexual violence and ethnically targeted killings.

The International Organization for Migration says the fighting has uprooted some three million people, 700,000 of whom have fled to neighboring countries.

rc/ (AP, AFP)