U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a dire warning, stating that Sudan is on the brink of a “full-scale civil war” following nearly three months of intense fighting between rival factions. The clashes between Sudanese military forces and a powerful paramilitary group have persisted relentlessly in the capital, Khartoum.
Guterres expressed his concern on Saturday, emphasizing that the ongoing war between the military and the paramilitary force has the potential to destabilize the entire region. Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the secretary-general, conveyed the secretary-general’s message.
Sudan has descended into chaos after escalating tensions between Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the military chief, and his rival Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the Rapid Support Forces, erupted into open conflict in mid-April.
Health Minister Haitham Mohammed Ibrahim revealed in televised remarks last month that the clashes have claimed the lives of over 3,000 people and left more than 6,000 others wounded. However, the actual death toll is likely much higher. According to U.N. data, more than 2.9 million people have been displaced from their homes, seeking refuge in safer areas within Sudan or neighboring countries.
This violence follows an 18-month period since the two generals staged a military coup in October 2021, overthrowing a civilian transitional government backed by the West. The conflict shattered hopes for a peaceful transition to democracy in Sudan, which had emerged from a popular uprising that led to the removal of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
The war has transformed Khartoum, along with other urban areas throughout the country, into battlegrounds.
Residents of Khartoum reported intense fighting south of the capital on Sunday. Heavy weapons were being used in the clashes within the Kalaka neighborhood, with military aircraft hovering over the area, according to Abdalla al-Fatih, a resident.
In his statement, Guterres also condemned a devastating airstrike on Saturday in Omdurman, a city located just across the Nile from Khartoum, which resulted in the deaths of at least 22 people, according to health authorities. The attack stands as one of the deadliest incidents in the conflict.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attributed the attack in Omdurman to the military. However, the military denied the accusation, asserting in a statement on Sunday that its air force did not carry out any airstrikes in the city that day.
Furthermore, the secretary-general expressed deep concern over the large-scale violence and numerous casualties in the western region of Darfur, which has been a focal point of the ongoing conflict. Guterres condemned the flagrant disregard for humanitarian and human rights law, deeming it dangerous and alarming, according to Haq’s statement.
U.N. officials have reported that the violence in Darfur has recently taken on an ethnic dimension, with the RSF and Arab militias reportedly targeting non-Arab tribes in the sprawling region, consisting of five provinces. Last month, Governor Mini Arko Minawi of Darfur stated that the region was regressing into a state reminiscent of its past genocide, referring to the conflict that engulfed the area in the early 2000s.
Entire towns and villages in West Darfur province have been seized by the RSF and allied militias, leading to the displacement of tens of thousands of residents who have sought refuge in neighboring Chad. Activists have reported widespread killings, sexual violence against women and girls, as well as looting and destruction of properties.
Clashes between the military and the RSF have also been reported in other regions of Sudan on Sunday, including North Kordofan, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile provinces.
