Social media circulated a video showing Sudanese Army Commander Abdel Fattah Burhan in his first appearance among ground troops. The timing of the video raised questions about his potential attendance at the Arab summit in Saudi Arabia, although it later revealed who would represent him.
The United Nations announced today, Wednesday, that more than half of Sudan's population urgently needs assistance and protection as civilians seek refuge from airstrikes and sporadic clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in the Khartoum area. Residents reported power outages, severe shortages in food supplies, and limited access to drinking water due to the power struggle between the two sides, which has entered its second month despite international mediation efforts.
In Geneva, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 25 million people need assistance, the highest number recorded by the international organization in Sudan. Before the conflict, the figure was about 15 million. The organization appealed for $2.6 billion in aid.
The army, led by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Burhan, relies on airstrikes and bombardments to drive out Rapid Support Forces fighters, led by Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti, from residential areas in Khartoum.
The agenda of the Arab summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia on Friday, is expected to address the conflict. Sudan is likely to be represented by Dafallah Al-Haj, the special envoy of Burhan, who will remain in Sudan. Burhan serves as the President of the Sovereignty Council.
Last week, both sides agreed on a declaration of principles that includes providing protection for civilians and facilitating access to humanitarian aid. However, mechanisms for establishing humanitarian corridors and agreeing on a ceasefire are still under discussion. Many ceasefire declarations agreed upon by both sides have failed to stop the fighting.
Airstrikes continued in Khartoum until last Tuesday evening. Witnesses reported that the situation was relatively calm on Wednesday morning, with sporadic clashes in some neighborhoods.
Ramesh Rajasingham, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva, stated that the international organization’s appeal to raise approximately $2.6 billion for operations from May to October is the largest ever in favor of Sudan. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees also announced its aim to secure $472 million to assist over one million people in the next six months.
With relief agencies unable to access the capital, the distribution of medical aid, food, and fuel in the Khartoum area has fallen to the resistance committees that led protests against the army in recent years. In a recorded statement presented during the UN appeal, Mohammed Al-Abed, one of the organizers in Omdurman, said, "We have not received any humanitarian assistance from local or international NGOs. What we are seeing here is that the situation will get worse due to the depletion of medical and food supplies; everything is running out."
