Today, Sunday, the Sudan Doctors Syndicate announced that 18 civilians were killed in battles between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the city of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, in the west of the country.
“Since yesterday, the violent armed conflict between the two parties in Nyala has resulted in the death of 18 civilians and two injuries, according to union sources in Nyala hospitals,” the (non-governmental) union said in a statement.
The sources also reported additional losses that were not accounted for due to the inability to access health facilities due to the conflict, and the continuing difficulties in monitoring losses amid shelling, gunfire and massive panic throughout the city.
Fierce clashes renewed between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Nyala on Thursday, using heavy and light weapons, prompting many families close to the clashes to flee out of the city.
Today, Sunday, the union announced that the number of civilian casualties across Sudan had risen to 850 dead and 3,394 wounded as a result of the conflict that plunged the country into chaos and displaced more than a million citizens.
A new truce
Diplomatically, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced last night that a new truce in Sudan would enter into force tomorrow night, Monday, to last a week, in addition to the continuation of talks between the two parties to the conflict in Jeddah.
The Forces for Freedom and Change in Sudan, an alliance of political parties supporting democratic rule, welcomed the ceasefire agreement.
The Forces for Freedom and Change said in a statement, “We call for full commitment to the Jeddah Declaration of Principles and to the short-term ceasefire agreement and humanitarian arrangements, and we hope that this agreement will constitute another step forward in the way of a total cessation of this damned war.”
Since mid-April, Sudan has been witnessing clashes between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (Hamidati), including the capital, Khartoum, and other cities in the north and west of the country.
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