Sudan unrest: World Food Programme suspends work following death of 3 staff members

Amid a power struggle, the clashes between the military led by army general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary resulted in the killing of at least 56 civilians, while injuring 595 others. Those killed include three United Nations staff members belonging to the World Food Programme (WFP).

Later on Sunday, the UN food agency said it was suspending work in Sudan. Fighting is raging between the army and paramilitaries in the restive Darfur region.

"While we review the evolving security situation, we are forced to temporarily halt all operations in Sudan," Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Programme, said in a statement. 

Sudanese Doctors' Union in a tweet said the clashes resulted in a large number of deaths and moderate and critical injuries. "The total number of civilian deaths was 56. Dozens of deaths among the military (some of them were treated in regular hospitals, and some of them are outside our scope.) The total number of injuries reached 595, including military injuries, dozens of whom were in critical condition," it said. 

Reports suggest that three of the killed were UN staffers of the World Food Programme (WFP). 

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"An initial count of the regrettable events of Saturday... has left 27 people killed" including in the capital Khartoum, the doctors' union said in an earlier statement before providing updated death toll.  

According to Reuters, which cited sources, two people were killed at the airport in Khartoum, four in the nearby city of Omdurman, five in El Fasher, eight in Nyala and six in El Obeid. 

The Sudanese army claimed its jets were bombing RSF sites and advised residents to stay inside their homes on Saturday night while it performed a thorough aerial inspection of paramilitary activities. 

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“The Rapid Support Forces were surprised Saturday with a large force from the army entering camps in Soba in Khartoum and laying siege to paramilitaries there,” reported AFP. It added that the army had “launched a sweeping attack with all kinds of heavy and light weapons.” 

The Indian embassy in Sudan has cautioned Indians in the country to “stay indoors” as the clashes between the Sudanese military and RSF intensified on Saturday. 

In a statement, the mission urged everyone to take “utmost precautions, stay indoors, and stop venturing outside with immediate effect”.

“Please also stay calm and wait for updates," the statement added. 

Earlier in the month, reports said the signing of a deal to establish a civilian administration was delayed by Sudanese authorities as talks on reorganising the military failed.

The major source of disagreement was the timeline for merging the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the military. Military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF head Mohamed Hamdan Daglo are at odds. 

In October 2021, the Sudanese military staged a coup and overthrew the civilian government, plunging the country into a political crisis. The military-led transitional government has since faced widespread protests and condemnation from the international community. 

 

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