♦ Sudan: This week’s news in brief ♦

DABANGA SUDAN – July 4, 2023

A compact digest of the past week’s most-read highlights, from the heart of Sudan. Subscribe to receive this digest weekly in your inbox.

West Darfur refugees tell of more horrors: ‘children deliberately murdered by RSF’

EL GENEINA / ADRÉ – July 3, 2023. Those who have recently fled to Chad have told Radio Dabanga of more horrors in El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, including the alleged killing of 20 children by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and say that bodies are still scattered across the town and on the road towards Chad. Over 8,000 are estimated to have been killed in El Geneina and many refer to the violence as a genocide.

The flow of Sudanese refugees to Chad continues despite RSF restrictions. Those left behind live in ‘catastrophic conditions’ and face continued attacks. “We lived through tragic conditions. The militias and the Rapid Support Forces destroyed the entire city,” one refugee who preferred to remain anonymous told Radio Dabanga. “Entire families were exterminated on ethnic grounds,” another refugee said. Mohamed, a third refugee who fled El Geneina, said that he saw militiamen and RSF troops as they killed 20 children before throwing them in Wadi Kadja (Kadja river).

‘Entire families were exterminated on ethnic grounds’

Sudanese initiatives in North Darfur, South Kordofan to stop the fighting

EL FASHER / DELLING – June 30, 2023. Civilian groups in the North Darfur capital of El Fasher have managed to convince the warring Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces to stop fighting in the area. Native Administration leaders in Delling, South Kordofan, agreed on Tuesday to launch a similar initiative.

Acting Governor of North Darfur Nimir Abdelrahman called on all Sudanese “to start similar initiatives in order to stop the war, especially those who enjoy good relations with both sides”. The governor called on the rest of the country’s states “to follow the example of North Darfur, as the biggest losers of the war are the Sudanese people”.

‘Unprecedented pace’ of fighting in Sudan’s Omdurman
OMDURMAN / KHARTOUM – July 4, 2023. Eyewitnesses report that the pace of fighting in Omdurman, especially in El Thawrat, Ombadda, and Wad El Bashir, has “escalated in an unprecedented manner” since Sunday with intense clashes this morning. Air raids also took place in Khartoum yesterday morning. There are reports of ethnic targeting in the capital.
 
SPLM-N El Hilu wins terrain in South Kordofan
DALAMI / DELLING – June 3, 2023. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, under the leadership of Abdelaziz El Hilu, managed to take control of the encampments of the SAF in the areas of Servaya, El Tagola, and Um Hitan in South Kordofan.
 
Sudan grassroots activists in Khartoum North desperate over RSF presence
KHARTOUM NORTH – July 2, 2023. The continuing lack of water in large parts of Khartoum North (Khartoum Bahri) caused the cessation of most of the services and commercial activities in the city. The resistance committee active in El Safya neighbourhood in the centre of the city blame the paramilitary RSF for the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the area.
 
El Burhan ‘accepts any Turkish proposal to bring peace to Sudan’, RSF releases prisoners
KHARTOUM / PORT SUDAN / WASHINGTON DC – June 30, 2023. Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and SAF Commander-in-Chief Abdelfattah El Burhan accepts Turkey as a mediator in the armed conflict with the RSF, after rejecting Kenyan mediation. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the release of 125 army soldiers held by the RSF.
 
Sudan’s Eid El Adha celebrations ‘devoid of joy’ this year
SUDAN – June 29, 2023. Throughout Sudan, Eid El Adha festivities were marred by the pervasive impact of conflict, economic hardships, mass displacement, and a prevailing sense of sadness. Residents of Khartoum experienced an unconventional Eid as the city was surrounded by weapons and warplanes, overshadowing the festivities. The lack of liquidity and salaries led to a reluctance among most people to make traditional Eid purchases.
 
Zamzam Camp residents report ‘terror’ over the outbreak of war in Sudan
ZAMZAM / EL FASHER – June 28, 2023. A group of counsellors who provide services to victims of sexual violence in Zamzam Camp, south of El Fasher, reports that much of their work “will be imperilled unless the violence is controlled” in North Darfur.
 
Sudan Troika, civil society, White Banners initiatives demand an end to the fighting
KHARTOUM / WASHINGTON DC – June 28, 2023. A Sudanese journalist has launched the White Banners initiative to demand an end to the war between the SAF and RSF and a group of 30 human rights organisations in Sudan have sent an open letter to the international community on the need to stop the violence. The Sudan Troika (USA, UK, Norway) has discussed the need for coordinated international pressure to halt the fighting and ensure unhindered humanitarian access.