Over 300 killed in Sudan as army chief rules out talks to end fighting

Explosions and gunfire resounded in Sudan’s capital Thursday as fighting between the forces of two rival generals showed no signs of abating ahead of festivities marking the end of Ramadan. Over 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted Saturday between forces loyal to Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed […]

Explosions and gunfire resounded in Sudan’s capital Thursday as fighting between the forces of two rival generals showed no signs of abating ahead of festivities marking the end of Ramadan.

Over 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted Saturday between forces loyal to Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Some of the fiercest battles have taken place in the capital Khartoum, a city home to five million people, most of whom have been cloistered in their homes without electricity, food and water.

As battles raged for a sixth day, Burhan dismissed any prospects for negotiations with Daglo, telling Al Jazeera on Thursday he sees no option but “decisive military” action.

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“I do not think there is any room for talks over politics again with the Rapid Support Forces,” he told the Qatar-based broadcaster but said he was open to mediation.

Another truce unravelled on Thursday morning, with the crackle of gunfire heard and columns of thick black smoke seen rising from buildings around Khartoum International Airport and the army headquarters in the capital.

“We were awoken… to the roaring sound of fighter jets and air strikes,” said Nazek Abdalla, a 38-year-old in southern Khartoum. “We locked our doors and windows, hoping no stray bullets would hit our building.”

The RSF, a powerful force formed from members of the Janjaweed militia that led years of extreme violence in Darfur, had said its forces would “fully commit to a complete ceasefire” from Wednesday evening for 24 hours, as did the army.

But witnesses said gunfire did not stop in Khartoum, as another ceasefire was breached within minutes of its supposed start for the second time in as many days.

“The shelling hasn’t stopped in the areas of conflict in Khartoum,” said Tagreed Abdin, a Sudanese architect residing in the capital.

While many sheltered at home, others were venturing out and risking it “to protect themselves and their families”, she added.

Beyond Khartoum, witnesses reported loud explosions in the city of Obeid, in the central state of North Kordofan.

“It reeks of death in some parts of town,” said a witness who was leaving a hotspot in central Khartoum.

Ahmed al-Mandhari of the World Health Organization said Thursday that “almost 330 people have died and almost 3,200 more” had been wounded in Khartoum, the western Darfur region and other states.

The fighting has taken a heavy toll on civilians across Sudan, with the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, saying “at least nine children have reportedly been killed.”

The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where already 15 million people, or one-third of the population, are facing food insecurity.

WFP has suspended operations in Sudan after the Saturday killing of its three workers.