Death toll in Sudan clashes rises to 144

Khartoum, Sudan | Xinhua |  The death toll in the continued clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has jumped to 144, the non-governmental Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said on Tuesday.

“A total of 144 civilians have been killed since the war began,” the committee said in a statement.

As many as 1,409 people were injured, including civilians and military members, the committee said.

The violent clashes renewed on Tuesday morning around the vicinity of the Sudanese army command and the presidential palace, Khartoum International Airport, and around some RSF bases south of the capital Khartoum, according to eyewitnesses.

Sudan has been witnessing armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas outside the capital since April 15, with the two sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.

The tension between the two military forces has escalated since Wednesday in the Merowe region in northern Sudan, after the RSF moved military vehicles to a location near the military air base there, a move that the army considered illegal.

Deep differences have emerged between the Sudanese army and the RSF, particularly regarding the latter’s integration into the army as stipulated in a framework agreement signed between military and civilian leaders on Dec. 5, 2022. ■