Sudan in the midst of gunfire, EU ambassador attacked

Mr. Volker Perthes, the United Nations (UN) special envoy to Sudan, said on April 17 that after 3 days of fighting with no signs of stopping, at least 185 people have been killed, while the number of injured has reached more than 1,800.

There is no official information yet, but the actual number of casualties could be much higher. According to Mr. Perthes, this is because the increasing conflict situation makes it difficult for authorities to access the areas where the fighting occurred to count the damage.

A large column of smoke rises in the capital Khartoum during military clashes. Photo: Reuters

The UN envoy said the fighting took place in densely populated areas of the capital, Khartoum. In recent days, the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have used tanks, artillery, fighter jets, missiles and other heavy weapons to target their opponents. Warplanes swooped overhead and anti-aircraft fire lit up the sky as night fell.

Mr Perthes added that the fighting had destroyed many homes and hospitals, causing severe shortages of medical supplies and food in the capital Khartoum. Some hospitals were forced to close.

"There was gunfire and shelling everywhere," Awadeya Mahmoud Koko, a resident in southern Khartoum, told the BBC . In central Khartoum, gunfire was heard and smoke rose near the main military headquarters. Nearby, at least 88 students and staff have been trapped in the library at Khartoum University since the fighting began.

Smoke rises from burning planes inside Khartoum airport. Photo: Reuters

Amid the fighting that has left hundreds dead, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Sudan was attacked at his home in the capital Khartoum on April 17. The current EU Ambassador to Sudan is Aidan O'Hara, 58, an Irishman.

According to Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, Ambassador O'Hara was not seriously injured, but the attack was a "blatant breach of the obligation to protect diplomats under the Vienna Convention".

Similarly, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell criticized: "The attack is a serious violation of the Vienna Convention. The security of diplomatic premises and personnel is the primary responsibility of the Sudanese authorities, and an obligation under international law."

In an effort to call on all sides to stop the conflict, the White House on April 17 called on the military and paramilitary forces to immediately cease fire, and said US officials were in contact with military leaders in Sudan.

Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the warring parties in Sudan to "immediately cease hostilities", warning that escalating the conflict could potentially lead to "devastating consequences for the security of the country and the region".

Fighting broke out suddenly on April 15 after weeks of tension between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (head of the military government) and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo over plans to integrate the force into the regular army.

RSF wants the process to take 10 years, while the military wants it to be completed within two years. RSF was established in 2013 and is under the authority of Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/sudan-giua-toi-boi-lua-dan-dai-su-eu-bi-tan-cong-20230418085428049.htm