The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, was jolted awake on Thursday by a barrage of air strikes and heavy shelling as the Sudanese army launched a major offensive against its rival paramilitary force, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Residents reported the clashes beginning at dawn, marking the first major offensive by the army in months aimed at reclaiming parts of the city controlled by the RSF. This escalation of violence comes at a critical time, with Sudan’s conflict high on the agenda at the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York this week.
On the sidelines of these crucial talks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his deep concern about the escalating violence in Sudan to army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan. The UN reported that Guterres voiced his worries about the “escalation of the conflict in the Sudan,” highlighting the growing international concern over the protracted war.
A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions, revealed that Sudanese army forces were engaged in “fierce fighting against the rebel militia inside Khartoum,” referring to the RSF. The source further disclosed that army forces had crossed three vital bridges over the Nile River, which had previously separated areas of the capital held by the army from those under RSF control.
Residents of Omdurman, a city across the Nile from Khartoum, reported “intense artillery shelling” that began early Thursday morning. The shells fell on residential buildings, while military warplanes were seen flying overhead. Since the outbreak of the war, much of the most brutal fighting has taken place in densely populated areas, leading to accusations of indiscriminate bombing of residential areas against both sides.
The ongoing war has already claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, with estimates ranging from 20,000 to 150,000 according to medics. The conflict has also triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis, according to the United Nations, with over 10 million people, roughly one-fifth of Sudan’s population, forced from their homes within the country and another two million seeking refuge in neighboring states.
The situation in Sudan is further deteriorating, with famine declared in the Zamzam refugee camp in Darfur near the city of El-Fasher. The RSF launched a large-scale offensive in the area last weekend after months of siege. El-Fasher is the only one of five state capitals in the vast Darfur region not yet under RSF control.
In his meeting with Burhan, Guterres warned that the war “risks a regional spillover,” the UN stated. The UN’s top relief official, Joyce Msuya, echoed these concerns, adding, “People in Sudan have endured 17 months of hell, and the suffering continues to grow.” The renewed offensive in Khartoum highlights the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan and raises serious concerns about the potential for further violence and regional instability. The world watches with growing concern as this brutal conflict continues to escalate, threatening the lives and well-being of millions of Sudanese people.
