The Commander of the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan Lt-Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo "Hemedti" announced on Friday that he discussed with UN's Secretary-General Antonio Guterres the situation in Sudan.
Hemedti said on his X account that he briefed the Secretary-General on the current developments, emphasizing the severe violations committed by Burhan's coup militia against innocent civilians.
He explained that the violations include aerial bombings, killings, ethnically motivated arrests, preventing humanitarian organizations from delivering aid to civilians and imposing restrictions on aid workers.
The RSF commander outlined his strategy to end hostilities and initiate negotiations that address the root causes of the crisis, leading to the reconstruction of the Sudanese state on new, equitable foundations that achieve security, stability, and lasting comprehensive peace.
He welcomed the appointment of Ramtane Lamamra as the UN Sec-Gen Special Envoy in Sudan, reiterating total commitment to cooperating with him and all UN agencies to address the humanitarian situation civilians face in the areas under the RSF control.
- IGAD summit
Meanwhile, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti has scheduled an urgent summit in Uganda on January 18 to address the Sudanese situation and the Ethiopia-Somalia dispute.
It follows an unsuccessful attempt at the 41st IGAD summit last December to mediate between Hemedti and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) leader Abdulfattah al-Burhan.
Lt-Gen Yasser al-Atta Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Army has cautioned against the political backers of the RSF, whom he referred to as Janjaweed, citing their potential to instigate a civil conflict.
He reassured officers at the Wadi Seidna airbase of the army's inclusive composition, including all tribes of Sudan, and dismissed fears of a civil war.
- Dozens of dead and wounded
Furthermore, the military operations between the SAF and RSF led to the death of 33 in Khartoum.
Clashes intensified between the warring parties over the past few days despite international pressure to return to the negotiating platform.
Emergency Lawyers, a nonprofit volunteer human rights group, reported on its X account that the army's artillery shelling in the Soba area killed 23 civilians and injured many others.
In the west, army aircraft targeted several sites in Nyala, killing dozens and injuring many civilians. The RSF has been in control of the city since October.
- Wad Madani and Gedaref
In eastern Sudan, the army announced that it had repelled an RSF attack on Umm al-Qura in an attempt to expand its control towards Gedaref state. Wad Madani also witnessed fierce clashes between the two sides.
Citizens told Asharq Al-Awsat that they saw clouds of smoke near the First Infantry Division headquarters and the Enqaz neighborhood near the Hantoub Bridge.
They indicated that the two sides exchanged heavy shelling, and citizens were unable to leave their homes.
Members of the famous "resistance committees" confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that there were deaths and injuries among civilians, but they were unable to determine them due to the ongoing clashes.
- The National Umma Party and Dilling
In addition, the National Umma Party denounced the violence in Dilling, south Kordofan state, between the military parties and the tribes.
It warned that it would lead to sedition and ignite a war between the components that have coexisted for decades.
The party announced in a bulletin that the Dilling events confirmed the dangerous effects of the war, threatening social peace and coexistence in the region.
It called on the Nuba and Hawazma Arab residents to exercise restraint and called on the army and the RSF to listen "to the voice of reason and wisdom" to end the war.
It urged the parties not to involve tribes and civilians in their military conflict and appealed to the Sudan People's Liberation Movement led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu to help contain the conflict and prevent the plan from sowing tribal strife in the Dilling region.
