Sudan: Expansion of Fighting and Epidemics

Fighting has renewed today, Friday, between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in the Nyala region, threatening to plunge Darfur into civil war. In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, the army is positioned in the south and west of the city, including the Makka Bridge, the market, some ministries, and vital areas. Meanwhile, the Rapid Support Forces control the eastern and northern parts of Nyala, including some ministries, the airport, and the power station. The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned of a disastrous situation as the rainy season begins in Sudan, where epidemics and diseases are expected to spread. In El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, a fragile truce has collapsed with fighting breaking out between the two forces in residential areas. In Al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State and a transit hub between Khartoum and Darfur, the Rapid Support Forces clashed with the heavily armed Central Reserve Police. The Rapid Support Forces have a significant presence in the city.