Violent clashes erupted between the Sudanese army and members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Al Jazirah, White Nile states, and El Fasher, Anadolu reported quoting eyewitnesses.
“Both sides used heavy weapons, resulting in a number of casualties who were transferred to El Fasher’s southern hospital,” eyewitness told Xinhua.
Eyewitnesses noted that the army conducted airstrikes on RSF gathering points around the Al-Jaili Petroleum Refinery north of Khartoum, resulting in thick smoke columns rising from the area.
The RSF maintains control over portions of Bahri city north of Khartoum, including the Al-Jaili refinery, while the army holds several neighborhoods north of Bahri and has a presence at a weapons depot and the Hattab and Kadroo bases in the city.
Army warplanes also conducted raids south of Khartoum and in the Alkotainh district of White Nile state, according to eyewitnesses.
The Wad Madani Resistance Committees reported that military aircraft targeted RSF gatherings in the village of Bika, west of Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah state.
Since December of last year, the RSF has controlled several cities in Al Jazirah state, including Wad Madani.
Eyewitnesses also reported that heavy weapon clashes resumed between the army and RSF in northern and eastern El Fasher, with the army launching airstrikes on RSF gatherings east of the city.
On Sunday, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced that clashes had resumed Saturday in several western and southeastern neighborhoods of El Fasher, displacing 250 families and causing casualties.
Since May 10, El Fasher has seen ongoing clashes between the army, supported by armed movements that signed a peace agreement, and the RSF, despite international community warnings about the fighting in the city, which is the humanitarian operations hub for Darfur state.
There have been increasing calls from the UN and international organizations to prevent a humanitarian disaster that could lead to famine and death for millions due to food shortages caused by the conflict, now affecting 12 of the country’s 18 states.
The latest call came from UNICEF, demanding an immediate cease-fire in Sudan “to prevent a looming famine and any potential loss of children’s lives.”
Since mid-April last year, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been engaged in a conflict that has resulted in around 15,000 deaths and displaced over 8 million people, according to the UN.
