The fighting has reawakened a two-decade-old conflict in the western Darfur region where dozens have died this week.The United Nations has warned there is a serious risk of violence escalating in Sudan’s West Darfur region as heavy battles raged across the country despite the warring sides agreeing to a new ceasefire.
Black clouds rose over the capital Khartoum on Friday as foreign governments scrambled to organise mass evacuations of their citizens, with Turkey’s defence ministry reporting that one of their military transport aircraft had come under fire.
There have been multiple failed truce efforts since a violent power struggle broke out on April 15 between Sudan’s army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by al-Burhan’s former deputy and fellow coup leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”.
On Thursday, the two sides agreed to extend a repeatedly broken ceasefire for three more days, with the US, Saudi Arabia, the African Union, the UN and others hoping it would help forge a “more durable cessation of hostilities”.
At least 512 people have been killed in Sudan since the conflict erupted and more than 4,100 wounded, according to the United Nations, which believed the real toll is much higher. The Sudan Doctors Union said at least 387 civilians had been killed.
The ceasefire is supposed to last until Sunday at midnight.
A Turkish evacuation plane came under fire as it was landing at Wadi Seyidna airport in Omdurman on Friday but there were no injuries, Turkey’s defence ministry said.
Darfur violence
The fighting has also reawakened a two-decade-old conflict in western Darfur w …

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