Sudan conflict escalates: Clashes, blame, and shelling intensify

The clashes between General al-Burhan’s forces (SAF) and Islamist allies against Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, as well as in Bahri and Omdurman, continue to intensify with heavy artillery and small arms fire.

Both sides are exchanging accusations and verbal barbs in the ongoing battle for control and influence.

SAF chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, speaking from the SAF general command headquarters, claimed that “the battle is nearing its end and will soon be over.”

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) immediately rejected this claim, accusing SAF of spreading “false narratives of imagined victories,” which RSF says are disproven by the realities on the ground.

Al-Burhan vowed to pursue the RSF “in every corner of Sudan” until they surrender. He added, “The army is in its best form, and our capabilities are improving daily as we continue to fight these terrorist rebels.”

However, the RSF countered, calling al-Burhan’s claims “a misleading propaganda campaign” meant to divert attention from its military and political failures over the past two years.

“We are determined and strong on all fronts in Khartoum, Bahri, Omdurman, and beyond,” the RSF statement read, dismissing the SAF’s rhetoric as “childish games.”

SAF sources claim that they have managed to seize several villages east of Khartoum, with convoys advancing deeper into the capital. SAF has claimed partial recovery of areas in Jabra, Doha, and Martyr Taha Mahhi, south of the capital.

After 21 months of siege, SAF began bringing in vital military and food supplies to their headquarters in central Khartoum. Despite this, the RSF still holds significant portions of land south, east, and west of the SAF’s headquarters, hindering efforts to regain full control of the capital.

SAF sources explained that opening the route to the SAF’s headquarters would transform the area from a siege situation to an active combat zone.

On social media, activists shared videos showing the aftermath of artillery shelling, with some high-rise buildings completely burned and reports of water and electricity outages since the conflict began in April 2023.

The United Nations has described Sudan as experiencing one of the world’s worst displacement crises, with more than 14 million displaced and over 20,000 killed since the war started. The ongoing conflict has sparked growing international calls for an end to the war to prevent a humanitarian disaster that could soon lead to widespread famine.

As the conflict rages on, Sudan faces not only the destruction of its infrastructure but also the looming threat of a severe food crisis, with millions of civilians trapped in the crossfire.

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