Clashes between paramilitary groups and the regular army in Sudan have killed hundreds in four days.
“French nationals are several hundred” in Sudan, said Wednesday April 19 on franceinfo Anne-Claire Legendre spokesperson for the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs while the fighting in Sudan between the regular army and paramilitaries left 200 dead in four days. “We are in contact with them. There is a crisis cell which was opened from the start of the fighting”she explained.
>> Sudan: four questions to understand the fighting that is shaking the country
Fighting in the streets of the capital Khartoum is raging between the troops of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, at the head of the country since the putsch of 2021, and the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (FSR) of General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo. “Our instructions” to French nationals, “it’s obviously to stay confined to their homes, since the fighting that continues in the streets makes all traffic too dangerous”she explained. “There were no Frenchmen taken to task”for the moment according to her.
“We need a humanitarian truce, we need a ceasefire”
The World Health Organization has denounced the bombardments against hospital infrastructure and the looting. The NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was itself a victim of this looting. Anne-Claire Legendre calls for the opening of a “corridor” to help the people. “We need a humanitarian truce, we need a ceasefire. This is really the request that is made by the entire international community”she said.
“The objective today is to put pressure on the belligerents to obtain this humanitarian truce.”
Anne-Claire Legendre spokesperson for the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairson franceinfo
General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, known as “Hemedti”, is reputed to be close to Russia and the Wagner group. The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman declined to comment on Moscow’s possible influence in the conflict: “I have no information to share in this regard. We will obviously be very vigilant on this point. But at this stage, it is the Sudanese belligerents who must make these decisions and agree to grant humanitarian access and above all to put an immediate end to the fighting on the ground.”
“Our embassy mentioned again this morning intense fighting in Khartoum”, she said. According to the United Nations, the fighting left 185 civilians dead and more than 1,800 injured. For the moment, “we cannot today assess the displaced people inside the country”she said.