Pope Francis has appealed to warring factions in Sudan to embrace dialogue as the country’s military and a paramilitary group, RSF battled for control of the chaos-stricken nation for a second day on Sunday.
Speaking during the Regina Coeli in St Peter’s Square, the Pope said he is following events taking place in Khartoum and elsewhere in the Horn of Africa nation “with concern”.
“I am close to the Sudanese people, who have already been through so much,” he said, and he called for prayers that “arms may be laid down and that dialogue may prevail so that together, they are able to return to the path of peace and concord.”
Fighting in Khartoum and beyond
The Pope‘s appeal rings out as fighting reportedly continues in the Sudanese capital and in other areas and following statements by the clashing parties they are unwilling to end hostilities despite mounting diplomatic pressure to cease fire.
Witnesses belonging to a medical group said that at least 56 civilians were killed and that they believe there were dozens of additional deaths among the rival forces.
The Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate said close to 600 people were wounded, including civilians and fighters.
The clashes capped months of heightened tensions between the military and its partner-turned-rival, the Rapid Support Forces group, delaying a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by an October 2021 military coup.
Heavy fighting raged Sunday in the capital of Khartoum and the adjoining city of Omdurman.
Humanitarian emergency
Fighting was also reported in the western Darfur region where tens of thousands of people live in camps for displaced people after years of genocidal civil war.
The military and the RSF both claimed to be in control of strategic locations in Khartoum and elsewhere in the county. Their claims couldn’t be independently verified. Both sides signalled late Saturday that they were unwilling to negotiate.
Meanwhile, The Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate appealed to international humanitarian and medical organizations to support medical facilities in the country. The group also called on the international community to press both sides to ensure safe passage for ambulances and medical personnel.
Sudan, a country at the crossroads of the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, is known for its history of military coups and civil conflicts since it gained independence in 1950s. The country has borders with six African nations and a strategic coastline on the Red Sea. A decade-old civil conflict resulted in the secession of South Sudan in 2011. The clashes will increase hardship in Sudan, where the U.N. says some 16 million people — or one-third of the population — already depend on humanitarian assistance.
