The scope of the war in Sudan expanded, with battles reaching two major cities: Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur state, and Al-Fula, the capital of West Kordofan state bordering Darfur.
These developments exacerbated fears about the fate of the hundreds of thousands of displaced, who had fled to these regions, escaping violence, prompting many camp residents to launch distress calls for the international community to intervene and save the people.
Since the outbreak of battles on April 15, between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Darfur region, along with the capital, Khartoum, have witnessed the worst acts of violence.
On Thursday night, fighting resumed in Al-Fashir, ending a two-month break in the densely populated city, which had been a haven for the Sudanese from the bombing, looting, rape and arbitrary executions seen in other parts of Darfur.
Al-Fashir is the center of the largest concentration of displaced civilians in Darfur, with 600,000 people seeking refuge there in recent months. Witnesses also reported hostilities in Al-Fula, where the conflict has already spread to North Kordofan, a trade and transport hub between Khartoum and parts of southern and western Sudan.
A spokesman for the Darfur regional government, Mustafa Jamil, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the humanitarian situation was dire in the cities of El Geneina and Nyala, adding that the infrastructure, markets and shops have been largely destroyed.
“Three of the states of the Darfur region have suffered from war, and have been affected by large killings, destruction and displacement, namely: West Darfur, South Darfur, and Central Darfur, while the states of North Darfur and East Darfur are witnessing a state of relative stability,” Jamil said, adding: “The effects of the war have spread to all the region, and the displaced have arrived in safe areas, but there are humanitarian repercussions.”
The Darfur region consists of five states. Its central government is headed by Minni Arcua Minawi, the leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement.
