CAIRO, April 21. /TASS/: More than 400 people have been killed in clashes between Sudan’s Army and the country’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the latest update from the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
"Clashes in Sudan have killed 413 people, and 3,551 more have been injured," Al Arabiya television quoted the WHO as saying on Friday.
On Thursday, Sudan’s Health Minister Haitham Muhammed Ibrahim said that, according to his information, more than 600 people had been killed in the north African country since clashes erupted on April 15. A little while ago, the Sudanese Doctors’ Union said that up to 70% of hospitals were out of service in areas where fighting was taking place.
Clashes are currently ongoing in Sudan between army units and the paramilitary force, despite the Eid al-Fitr holiday on Friday, according to live footage from Sudan by Arab news television on channels. Neither of the two sides has been observing the ceasefire, defying calls from many Arab countries, the international community and international organizations. The Army and the RSF blame each other for continued shelling, bombardments and attacks in residential areas in the capital, Khartoum. Access to the internet and mobile networks is reportedly hampered in the city.
On Thursday evening, the RSF agreed to a ceasefire with the Sudanese army for the holiday, mediated by Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The RSF spokesman assured that the force "does not have any ideological or political preferences, and acts only in the interests of the country". Meanwhile, the Sudanese Armed Forces said on Friday that it would not observe the ceasefire, claiming that the RSF had declared that unilaterally.
The situation in Sudan escalated amid disagreements between the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the ruling Sovereign Council, and the RSF head, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), who is al-Burhan’s deputy on the council. On April 15, clashes erupted near a military base in Merowe and in the capital, Khartoum.
