Sudan, Nearly 200 Dead in Militia Clashes... "EU Ambassador Attacked at Residence"

In Sudan, North Africa, the armed conflict between government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has continued for three days, resulting in nearly 200 deaths.

Volker Perthes, the UN Special Envoy for Sudan, stated in a virtual press conference on the 17th (local time) that at least 185 people have died and over 1,800 have been injured due to clashes between armed factions that began on the 15th.

On the 16th (local time), black smoke is rising at Khartoum International Airport in Sudan, North Africa, where clashes occurred between government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The World Health Organization reported that hospitals in Khartoum have reached full capacity due to the weekend's fighting. As the number of injured surged over the weekend, many of the nine hospitals accommodating them are facing difficulties such as shortages of blood, transfusion supplies, specialists, as well as water outages and power cuts.

As a result of the situation, the World Food Programme, a UN agency, has temporarily suspended its operations in Sudan, and Qatar Airways, the largest airline in the Middle East, has halted flights to Sudan.

The armed conflict, which began in the capital Khartoum and its satellite city Omdurman, has spread across the entire country, including western Darfur and the eastern border areas, exacerbating the damage.

The conflict started due to tensions between the RSF and the military over the integration of the RSF into the government forces. In 2019, Sudanese military leader General Abdel Fattah Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the military's second-in-command, successfully ousted former President Omar al-Bashir, who had ruled for 30 years, through a coup.

Since then, both sides seized power again by overthrowing the transitional government in a 2021 coup, but they have continued to clash over disagreements regarding military command and the integration of the RSF into the government forces.

As the conflict intensified, an incident occurred in Khartoum where the European Union (EU) ambassador was attacked at his residence.

Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, posted on Twitter that "a few hours ago, the EU ambassador to Sudan was assaulted at his residence."

He condemned the attack as "a clear violation of the Vienna Convention," adding, "The safety of diplomatic missions and their staff is the top responsibility of Sudanese authorities and an obligation under international law." Borrell did not provide specific details about the ambassador's current condition.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.