The United Nations has issued a warning that Sudan is on the verge of a "full-scale civil war" that has the potential to create instability throughout the region.
The alarm came after an airstrike targeted a residential area in Omdurman, the sister city of Khartoum, resulting in the death of approximately 24 civilians. Sudan's health ministry reported that there were 22 fatalities and a significant number of injuries among the civilian population in the Dar al-Salam district.
Following almost three months of conflict between Sudan's opposing military factions, an airstrike has sparked further outrage. The ongoing war has resulted in a death toll of at least 3,000 people, with 6,000 individuals wounded. Survivors have reported incidents of sexual violence, and witnesses have described targeted killings based on ethnicity. Additionally, widespread looting has occurred, and the UN has raised concerns about potential crimes against humanity in the Darfur region.
A video shared by Sudan's health ministry on Facebook displayed bodies, seemingly lifeless, after the Saturday airstrike. The footage included several women, and the narrator stated that residents had counted 22 fatalities.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), engaged in combat with the regular army, claimed that the airstrike resulted in 31 deaths and accused the military of carrying it out. However, the military denied the accusation and stated in a Sunday statement that its air force had not conducted any airstrikes in the city the previous day.
During the course of the war, paramilitary groups have set up bases in residential areas and have faced allegations of forcibly displacing civilians from their homes.
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, denounced the Omdurman airstrike on Sunday. Omdurman is situated just across the Nile River from Khartoum. According to a statement from his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, Guterres expressed that the airstrike had reportedly resulted in the death of at least 22 individuals and left dozens injured.
Guterres, through his spokesperson Haq, expressed deep concern over the ongoing war between Sudan's armed forces, emphasizing that it has brought the country dangerously close to a full-scale civil war. This situation poses a potential threat to the stability of the entire region. Haq further highlighted the alarming disregard for humanitarian and human rights laws observed during the conflict.
On Sunday, clashes occurred between the military and the RSF in various regions of Sudan, including North Kordofan, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile.
According to the International Organization for Migration, the fighting in Sudan has led to the displacement of nearly 3 million people, with nearly 700,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
The United Nations and African regional blocs have raised concerns about an "ethnic dimension" within the conflict occurring in Sudan's Darfur region. The United States, Norway, and the United Kingdom have accused the RSF and its allied militia of being responsible for a significant portion of the widespread violations in the area.
Haq expressed support for the African Union and the East African bloc Igad in their efforts to resolve Sudan's crisis.
On Monday, leaders from Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan, who are members of Igad and involved in handling Sudan's situation, are scheduled to meet in Addis Ababa.
While invitations have been extended to Sudan's army chief, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF commander, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, neither side has confirmed their attendance.
Several ceasefires have been declared during the war, but they have been disregarded and not effectively implemented.