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Blinken urges Sudan ceasefire in talks with rival generals as death toll rises Blinken warns Sudan’s rivals as US diplomatic convoy comes under fire
(about 2 hours later)
At least 185 killed after days of violence between Sudan’s army and rival paramilitary force RSF Secretary of state condemns apparent attack by fighters linked to paramilitary RSF after days of deadly clashes
US secretary of state Antony Blinken expressed “grave concern” over civilian deaths in Sudan in separate calls with rival leaders, as the number of people killed after days of clashes neared 200. A US diplomatic convoy came under fire in Sudan in an apparent attack by fighters associated with Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, the US secretary of state Antony Blinken, has said, in an incident he described as “reckless” and “irresponsible”.
Fighting has continued since Saturday, when violence erupted between army units loyal to Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s transitional governing Sovereign Council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who is deputy head of the council. The incident on Monday prompted a direct warning from Blinken, who separately telephoned the RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, and Sudan’s army chief, Gen Abdel Fatah al-Burhan, to tell them any danger posed to American diplomats was unacceptable.
Blinken spoke with Burhan and Hemedti, a state department official said on Tuesday, urging both leaders to agree to a ceasefire and said both had a responsibility to “ensure the safety and wellbeing of civilians, diplomatic personnel, and humanitarian workers”. Blinken said the diplomatic convoy that came under fire was flying US. flags and all in the convoy were safe. “We have deep concerns about the overall security environment,” he said at a press conference in Japan where he attended a G7 meeting of foreign ministers.
In a post on Twitter, Hemedti said “we will have another call to continuing dialogue and working hand-in-hand to forge a brighter future for our nations.” Fighting erupted on Saturday between army units loyal to Burhan, the head of Sudan’s transitional governing Sovereign Council, and Hemedti, the deputy head of the council. The UN envoy to Sudan says at least 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 wounded. But there were many more bodies uncollected in the streets.
Hemedti’s whereabouts have not been disclosed since Saturday when fighting erupted between the RSF and Sudan’s army. A US state department official said Blinken had expressed “grave concern” over civilian deaths in his calls with the rival leaders, and urged them to agree to a ceasefire. Both had a responsibility to “ensure the safety and wellbeing of civilians, diplomatic personnel, and humanitarian workers”, the official said.
Sudan’s rival factions both claimed to have made gains on Monday as violence cut power and water in the capital, and the UN envoy to Sudan said the two sides showed no signs of being willing to negotiate. Hemedti said he had “discussed pressing issues” with Blinken during their call and more talks were planned. “We will have another call to continuing dialogue and working hand-in-hand to forge a brighter future for our nations,” tweeted Hemedti, whose whereabouts have not been disclosed since the fighting began.
Fighting between the army and the RSF has killed at least 185 people and injured more than 1,800, said UN envoy Volker Perthes amid airstrikes and fighting in Khartoum and further strife across other parts of Sudan. The power struggle has derailed a shift to civilian rule and raised fears of a wider conflict. Sudan’s rival factions both claimed to have made gains on Monday as violence cut power and water in the capital. Volker Perthes, the UN envoy to Sudan, said the two sides showed no signs of being willing to negotiate.
Clashes in Khartoum have centred on key sites such as the international airport, presidential palace and the army headquarters, where Burhan is thought to be based. The power struggle has derailed a shift to civilian rule and raised fears of a wider conflict.
Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, said that the EU ambassador in Khartoum had been assaulted at his residency. Borrell did not say if the ambassador, Irish diplomat Aidan O’Hara, had been badly injured, but called the attack “a gross violation of the Vienna Convention”, which is supposed to guarantee the protection of diplomatic premises. Clashes in Khartoum have centred on key sites such as the international airport, presidential palace and the army headquarters. In comments to Sky News, Burhan said he was secure in a presidential guesthouse within the defence ministry compound.
US national security council spokesperson, John Kirby, said the US was not, for the time being, planning an evacuation from the country. Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, said the EU ambassador in Khartoum had been assaulted at his residency. Borrell did not say if the ambassador, the Irish diplomat Aidan O’Hara, had been badly injured, but called the attack “a gross violation of the Vienna convention”, which is supposed to guarantee the protection of diplomatic premises.
The US national security council spokesperson, John Kirby, said the US was not, for the time being, planning an evacuation from the country.
Burhan raised the stakes in the violence still further on Monday, ordering the dissolution of the RSF, which he called a “rebellious group”. For his part, Hemedti called Burhan “a radical Islamist who is bombing civilians from the air”.Burhan raised the stakes in the violence still further on Monday, ordering the dissolution of the RSF, which he called a “rebellious group”. For his part, Hemedti called Burhan “a radical Islamist who is bombing civilians from the air”.
Military jets flew low over the capital through much of Monday as repeated bouts of firing and shelling continued there and in Omdurman, Khartoum’s sister city across the Nile. Witnesses have reported dozens of bodies in one central neighbourhood of the capital, and hundreds of students remain trapped by the fighting in schools.Military jets flew low over the capital through much of Monday as repeated bouts of firing and shelling continued there and in Omdurman, Khartoum’s sister city across the Nile. Witnesses have reported dozens of bodies in one central neighbourhood of the capital, and hundreds of students remain trapped by the fighting in schools.
Hospitals have been particularly affected, with essential supplies badly disrupted by the fighting. Hundreds of patients have been evacuated, while medical staff work to move others from intensive care or dialysis units to places of safety. Hospitals have been particularly affected, with essential supplies badly disrupted by the fighting. Hundreds of patients have been evacuated from the site, while medical staff attempt to move others from intensive care or dialysis units to places of safety.
“We had to move them to the isolation centres along with 70 doctors and nurses, all have been trapped here with no oxygen for the chest patients and that’s really dangerous … The oxygen we have is from the time of the pandemic and it’s limited,” one nurse said.“We had to move them to the isolation centres along with 70 doctors and nurses, all have been trapped here with no oxygen for the chest patients and that’s really dangerous … The oxygen we have is from the time of the pandemic and it’s limited,” one nurse said.
A shell hit one Khartoum teaching hospital on Monday morning, injuring several patients and relatives. Another hospital has appealed for fuel to keep generators running. A dentist taking her sick father for treatment at another facility was killed, according to activists in the UK.
A doctor who spoke to the Guardian from the basement of the Khartoum teaching hospital described heavy shelling and orders from army soldiers to leave the premises.
“We are basically in the crossfire between the RSF and the army. They are firing at each other from their positions and we are in between.”
The doctor, who asked to remain anonymous, described an acute need for food and drinking water.
Dr Sara Ibrahim Abdelgalil, a UK-based Sudanese democracy activist who is in touch with many health professionals in Khartoum, said: “It is very bad. The real issue is that the armed conflict is inside residential areas. We don’t know how many casualties.”
In some parts of the city, informal neighbourhood committees have taken over the distribution of painkillers and rehydration salts to ill children who cannot be taken for treatment.
With water and power cut across large parts of the capital, long queues formed at bakeries as some residents ventured out to buy food. There has been no police presence on the streets of Khartoum since Saturday, and witnesses reported cases of looting.
“We’re scared our store will be looted because there’s no sense of security,” 33-year-old shopkeeper Abdalsalam Yassin told Reuters.
Aid workers in remote parts of Sudan also reported tensions or violence. One based in on the eastern border with Ethiopia described the regular army overwhelming a small RSF contingent and seizing their base amid sporadic shooting. Officials also reported fighting in the east, including the provinces of Kassala and El Gadaref.Aid workers in remote parts of Sudan also reported tensions or violence. One based in on the eastern border with Ethiopia described the regular army overwhelming a small RSF contingent and seizing their base amid sporadic shooting. Officials also reported fighting in the east, including the provinces of Kassala and El Gadaref.
The conflict threatens to plunge one of Africa’s biggest and most strategically important countries into chaos. Analysts say only pressure from “heavyweight” intermediaries will have a chance of ending the fighting.The conflict threatens to plunge one of Africa’s biggest and most strategically important countries into chaos. Analysts say only pressure from “heavyweight” intermediaries will have a chance of ending the fighting.
In Washington, Kirby said the administration was trying to coordinate with the African Union, the Arab League, and the regional organisation, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, “about how we collectively press the parties to end the fighting”. In a speech broadcast by Egyptian state television late on Monday, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi said he was in regular contact with the army and RSF to “encourage them to accept a ceasefire and spare the blood of the Sudanese people”.
“We’ve been very clear what we want to see happen here, which is a ceasefire, a return to an approach that is supportive of the democratic institutions and the elected civilian leadership,” he said. The African Union’s top council has called for an immediate ceasefire without conditions, while other Arab states with stakes in Sudan – Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – made similar appeals. The UN security council was to discuss the crisis on Monday.
In a speech broadcast by Egyptian state television late on Monday, Egypt president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he was in regular contact with the army and RSF to “encourage them to accept a ceasefire and spare the blood of the Sudanese people”.
The African Union’s top council has called for an immediate ceasefire “without conditions”, while other Arab states with stakes in Sudan – Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – made similar appeals. The UN security council was to discuss the crisis on Monday.
Reuters contributed to this reportReuters contributed to this report