Dozens killed as army, rivals battle for control

KHARTOUM (AP):

The Sudanese military and a powerful paramilitary group battled for control of the chaos-stricken nation for a second day on Sunday, signalling they were unwilling to end hostilities despite mounting diplomatic pressure to cease fire.

Heavy fighting involving armoured vehicles, truck-mounted machine guns and war planes raged in the capital of Khartoum, the adjoining city of Omdurman, and in flashpoints across the country. The rival forces are believed to have tens of thousands of fighters each in the capital alone.

At least 41 civilians were killed on Sunday, bringing the two-day death toll to 97, the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate said on Monday. Hundreds of people have been wounded since fighting started on Saturday, the group said. In addition, dozens of fighters are believed to have been killed, according to the group.

The clashes are part of a power struggle between General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the commander of the armed forces, and General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group. The two generals are former allies who jointly orchestrated an October 2021 military coup that derailed Sudan’s short-lived transition to democracy.

In recent months, internationally backed negotiations revived hopes for such a transition, but growing tensions between Burhan and Dagalo eventually delayed a deal with political parties.

Volker Perthes, the UN envoy for Sudan, said that both Burhan and Dagalo agreed to a three-hour humanitarian pause in fighting in the late afternoon on Sunday, but violence continued to engulf the capital.

As night fell, residents reported heavy explosions and continued gunfire, as well as airstrikes pounding RSF targets. The clashes come as most Sudanese are preparing to celebrate the holiday that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims traditionally fast from sunrise to sunset.

Fighting raged around the military’s headquarters throughout the day. “Heavy explosions and gunfire around the clock,” said Amany Sayed, a 38-year-old Khartoum resident. “The battles here (in the capital) never stopped.”

In Khartoum and Omdurman, fighting was also reported around Khartoum International Airport and state television headquarters. A senior military official said clashes with RSF fighters began earlier in the day around military headquarters.

“They are shooting against each other in the streets,” said prominent rights advocate Tahani Abass, who lives near the military headquarters. “It’s an all-out war in residential areas.”

Abass said her family spent the night huddling on the ground floor of their home. “No one was able to sleep, and the kids were crying and screaming with every explosion,” she said. Sounds of gunfire were heard while she was speaking to The Associated Press.