Sudan’s Army Launches Major Offensive Against Paramilitary Group in Civil War
In a bold move, Sudan’s army has initiated a significant offensive against the formidable paramilitary group it has been battling in the country’s brutal civil war. The target? Areas in the capital that were lost at the onset of the conflict.
At the break of dawn on Thursday, government forces unleashed a barrage of shells on Rapid Support Forces (RSF) bases in the capital city of Khartoum, as well as in Bahri to its north.
The unrest in Sudan has been escalating since April 2023, when the army and the RSF engaged in a fierce power struggle, resulting in what the UN has labeled as one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally.
With casualties reaching up to 150,000 lives lost in the conflict, over 10 million individuals – roughly a fifth of the population – have been displaced from their homes.
Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of intense aerial bombardments and heavy combat on Thursday as army units traversed two vital bridges over the River Nile, which had previously acted as a barrier between government-controlled territories in Omdurman and RSF-controlled regions.
For the majority of the war’s duration, the paramilitary group has held dominion over almost all of the capital. However, Thursday’s advancements signify the government’s first noteworthy effort in months to reclaim lost ground.
The timing of this offensive is significant, as army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is scheduled to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York later in the day.
Amidst escalating violence, the UN has urgently called for action to safeguard civilians and put an end to the bloodshed.
The conflict has primarily ravaged densely populated areas, with both sides pointing fingers at each other for indiscriminate bombings in civilian zones.
“Relentless hostilities across the country have brought misery to millions of civilians, triggering the world’s fastest-growing displacement crisis,” cautioned the UN on Wednesday.
Highlighting the dire situation, the UN revealed that half of the 10 million displaced individuals are children, with at least two million seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
Sudan has also been labeled as “the world’s largest hunger crisis,” with concerns mounting over the looming threat of widespread famine due to the inability to cultivate crops.
Furthermore, there are alarming warnings of a potential genocide targeting non-Arab populations in the western region of Darfur.
Adding to the turmoil, a cholera epidemic is currently rampant across the nation, claiming over 430 lives in just the past month, as per the health ministry’s report on Wednesday.
However, delivering aid to the affected areas remains a daunting task due to the ongoing conflict. — BBC
