By Ntombi Mhlongo
As the violence intensifies in Sudan, the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation has assured that it is closely monitoring the situation concerning its citizens caught up there.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the department mentioned that the South African Government reiterates its appeal to the parties involved in the conflict in Sudan to heed international calls for an immediate ceasefire as unarmed civilians, including visitors from many parts of the world, remain stranded.
It was mentioned that the South African Embassy in Khartoum is closely monitoring the situation concerning South African nationals caught up in the situation in Sudan and that airports remain closed.
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“All civilians have been urged to stay indoors, away from windows and exterior walls. The embassy is exploring options to assist stranded South Africans. The South African Government urges all South Africans in Sudan to remain indoors and await further updates and guidance. The South African Government once again calls for peace and calm among the parties involved in the conflict, in keeping with the AU objective of silencing the guns on the continent,” the department said in the statement.
On Monday, CNN reported that months of tensions between a paramilitary group and the country’s army have continued. Clashes around the army headquarters and presidential palace in the capital Khartoum involved heavy weapons.
There have also been reports of battles hundreds of miles away in the eastern city of Port Sudan and in the western Darfur region. According to the CNN report, the Central Committee of Doctors reported that at least 56 people have been killed and nearly 600 injured in the clashes.
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Sudan’s paramilitary chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo claimed to have seized most of Khartoum’s official sites after clashes erupted between his armed group and the country’s military on Saturday.
On Sunday, Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) released a video declaring it had gained control of the Meroe airport in the north of the country.
Dagalo told CNN the RSF is in control of the presidential palace, Khartoum airport, and the General Command headquarters. The country’s military leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, disputed Dagalo’s claims on Saturday and said the military has maintained control over government sites.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has urged all parties to the conflict to respect the neutrality of health care and ensure unrestricted access to health facilities for those injured by the hostilities.