Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) - Eight weeks after the outbreak of war between the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and the rapid support forces (RSF), fighting, abuses and violence continue in Sudan, particularly in the capital Khartoum. According to local press reports, the island of Tuti, which consists of only a small village but is surrounded by Khartoum and the cities of Omdurman and Khartoum North, is under siege. Meanwhile, the Sudan Emergency Lawyers Organization has denounced the humanitarian catastrophe. Humanitarian aid cannot reach the Darfur region, among other places, and the population is on its last legs. The RSF has reportedly closed the two bridges connecting Tuti Island to Khartoum and Khartoum North for the eighth consecutive day, preventing the entry and exit of people, food and medical supplies. "They shoot anyone who approaches the banks of the Nile to leave the island," says the report on the dramatic situation. "They have prevented people from burying the bodies in Hillat Hamed Cemetery and have retreated to the island. In addition, the RSF has not allowed seriously ill patients and emergencies to cross the bridges. The humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly, pharmacies have run out of medicines and there is a shortage of food".
The atrocities caused by this war also include sexual assaults on women and girls: "Most of the victims are women and girls between the ages of 12 and 17," according to the organization for combating violence against women of the Ministry of Social Affairs. However, according to the organization, crimes of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and violence against women and girls (VAW/G) often go unreported due to the chaos of war, poor telecommunications and internet connections, and the stigmatization of rape victims. In late May, an increasing number of rape cases were reported in the Khartoum metropolitan area and in Darfur. Criminals take advantage of many women who have become even more financially vulnerable due to the ongoing conflict in exchange for basic needs.
The military situation in Khartoum remains very serious as militias continue to carry out military attacks on facilities and civilians. The embassies of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have already been vandalized and diplomats' offices and homes looted. The army, meanwhile, has been accused of bombing schools under the pretext that militiamen are hiding there, which has claimed many lives. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 9/6/2023)
