UN Plans to Aid 3 Million Sudanese Refugees

Displaced people from el-Geneina in Darfur on a French army truck en route to temporary shelters on the outskirts of Adre, Chad (Reuters)
Displaced people from el-Geneina in Darfur on a French army truck en route to temporary shelters on the outskirts of Adre, Chad (Reuters)
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UN Plans to Aid 3 Million Sudanese Refugees

Displaced people from el-Geneina in Darfur on a French army truck en route to temporary shelters on the outskirts of Adre, Chad (Reuters)
Displaced people from el-Geneina in Darfur on a French army truck en route to temporary shelters on the outskirts of Adre, Chad (Reuters)

The United Nations has recognized the need to scale up assistance in Sudan, according to the United Nations Integrated Transition Support Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS).

The UN agencies in Sudan held a meeting Wednesday in Port Sudan, announcing they are jointly mounting efforts to scale up humanitarian assistance for over three million displaced by the conflict, the majority being women and children.

A UN report issued in mid-July indicated that roughly half of Sudan's population needs urgent humanitarian aid, especially the millions trapped in combat zones in Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan.

The ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) impede the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians, as they continue to lose the necessary services, including electricity, water supply, and health care after more than half of the hospitals and service facilities became out of service.

The battles stopped Wednesday, and a state of cautious calm prevailed in Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri, which witnessed violent and bloody clashes in the past days between the two parties, killing dozens of civilians and injuring many others.

Residents of separate suburbs of Khartoum told Asharq Al-Awsat that calm has returned to their areas, and there have been no gunfights.

Al-Rih al-Hindi, a resident of the al-Manshia suburb east of Khartoum, said that the clashes have subsided, but the Rapid Support forces are still deployed in many neighborhoods.

He indicated that the past days were challenging, and many homes were damaged due to artillery shelling and airstrikes.

Hindi noted that most neighborhoods east of Khartoum have become almost empty, except for a few families who decided to stay.

Another resident, Sarah Omar al-Sayed, said that the situation has calmed down significantly, adding that they have not seen any army planes or heard clashes.

She indicated that her family is considering leaving the house when it is safe.

According to UN data, supported by reports from the Sudanese Federal Ministry of Health, more than 1,136 people have been killed and 120,000 injured since the outbreak of fighting last April.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC), Malik Agar, said there was hope to end the war in the country, adding that some military-technical measures must precede the ceasefire according to monitoring mechanisms.

Agar explained in an interview with state television on Wednesday that there is no official negotiation between the army and the RSF at the Jeddah platform, noting that despite the presence of the two parties, the talks may be indirect.

He renewed his country's refusal to deploy any foreign forces, which may be met with hostility.



Rapid Support Forces Ban Sudanese Exports to Egypt

Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Rapid Support Forces Ban Sudanese Exports to Egypt

Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, headed by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, announced on Saturday a ban on Sudanese exports to Egypt in response to what he said was Cairo’s meddling in the country’s affairs.

Earlier this week, Hemedti accused Egypt of carrying out air raids against his forces. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry vehemently denied the claim.

The ban will be effective in Sudanese regions held by the RSF.

Observers viewed the development as a significant turn in relations between the two neighbors.

Leading member of the RSF in the Blue Nile region Abu Shoutal warned merchants against sending any products to Egypt, saying they will be held to account if they do.

If the merchants send even one unit of their products, they will be punished. “Our exports should be sent to all of our neighbors, except for Egypt,” he demanded.

“Any truck headed to Egypt through the al-Dabba crossing should be dealt with as an enemy,” he added.

Sudanese exports to Egypt include agriculture and animal products, such as peanuts, corn, sesame, gum Arabic, camels and cattle. They are primarily produced in regions held by the RSF, such as Darfur and Kordofan.

The RSF controls regions bordering Egypt and through which exports are sent.

The ban will complicate exports to the northern neighbor. Journalist and civil activist Rasha Awad told Asharq Al-Awsat that the ban was a significant development in relations between Sudan and Egypt.

She warned of its dangerous repercussions and that it may lead to an open confrontation between the RSF and Egypt.

Moreover, she said the ban could pave the way for the Sudanese conflict to transform into a regional war in which even Ethiopia may become involved.

Awad wondered, however, whether the RSF could provide a suitable substitute to merchants. “Who will buy the banned products and is there a safe alternative to the Egyptian markets?”

She also wondered whether the ban would be used as an excuse to escalate the war in Sudan, adding that the coming days will have the answer.

Analyst Mohammed Latif said relations between Sudan and Egypt will not be the same after the ban.

Meanwhile, RSF supporters posted footage of trucks loaded with goods and cattle they claim were turned back from the border with Egypt despite a ban by Hemedti against posting photos or videos of his forces.