Sudan

The AU and IGAD acknowledged that Sudan's situation remains volatile, with recent developments further dividing factions and complicating efforts to achieve a unified political solution.

Among those killed was Major General Bahr Ahmed, a senior commander in Khartoum who previously served as the commander of the army across the entire capital.

According to the UN, more than 12.3 million people have been uprooted by the violence, of whom 3.5 million have crossed borders into neighbouring countries, mainly Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan.

MSF teams said they have documented reports of homes being set on fire, looting, sexual violence, killings and beatings.

Factions allied with the Sudanese army have dismissed the talks, arguing that they lacked inclusivity and fairness.

According to the text of the charter, the signatories agreed that Sudan should be a "secular, democratic, non-centralised state" with a single national army.

Attempts at peace talks in the conflict have stalled and both sides have continued to draw on their foreign backers for arms.

Health officials have linked the crisis to contaminated drinking water, following a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attack that disrupted the city’s main water supply.

The situation has sparked a diplomatic row between Kenya and Sudan, especially as RSF continues to push for the creation of a new government.

This marks the second diplomatic withdrawal in just over a year, following the January 2024 recall after President William Ruto hosted RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo in Nairobi.

The report reveals that since May 2024, when the war broke out, 832 civilians have been killed, including at least 79 women and 111 children, while 1,678 others have been injured, including at least 45 women and 36 children.

Port Sudan maintains that Kenya is overstepping diplomatic boundaries by facilitating discussions that seek to create an alternative power centre outside Sudan.

White Nile state, where activists said three days of RSF attacks had left more than 200 dead, has emerged as a key battleground as the army regains territory.

The government had last year restricted the use of the crossing, which is crucial to reaching famine-stricken parts of the Darfur region, saying that the rival Rapid Support Forces used it to transport weapons, which it denied.

Famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations in Sudan, including displacement camps in Darfur, the U.N. statement said, adding that this was set to worsen with continued fighting and the collapse of basic services.

Medical aid agency MSF has confirmed seven deaths from the violence, while residents say dozens may have been killed.

A UN fact-finding mission has documented a range of harrowing human rights violations committed by both the SAF and RSF, and called for investigations into the violations, and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu acknowledged that previous aid commitments had helped alleviate suffering but insisted that more needed to be done.

Kenya has been actively pushing for peace efforts, with Ruto reiterating that military solutions will not bring lasting stability.

Russia has stood by Sudan's military government on the international stage, using its veto power at the UN Security Council to block resolutions calling for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds.

Since the war began, over nine million people have been displaced within Sudan, including 266,000 refugees forced to flee multiple times.

Sudan is facing one of its worst crises in modern history as conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary RSF continues to push the country into deeper turmoil.

The Al Jazirah Observatory reported that 30 people were shot dead in the Na'ima and al-Jamalab areas, while 15 others drowned in the White Nile while trying to flee by boat.

The incidents included airstrikes, drone assaults, artillery shelling, armed clashes, child kidnappings, killings, and sexual violence.

Burhan said there would be changes to the country's interim constitution, which the military sources said would remove all references to partnership with civilians or the RSF, placing authority solely with the army which would appoint a technocratic prime minister who would then appoint a cabinet.

Child-friendly spaces provide an opportunity to raise awareness around risks to children as well as somewhere that information can be provided about available services and support.

Puntland's military spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday that the security forces had killed at least 85 IS militants in battles over the past two days.

The ongoing fighting has forced thousands to flee to neighbouring countries, while those who remain face severe shortages of food and medicine.

Minister of Culture and government spokesperson Khalid al-Aleisir condemned the assault, saying the casualties included many women and children.

The war has displaced more than 12 million people, while plunging half the population into hunger, for which both the RSF and army are blamed.

The army announced on Friday it had successfully lifted the RSF blockade and restored control over parts of the city, signalling a potential turning point in the nearly two-year war.

The conflict has produced waves of ethnically driven violence blamed largely on the RSF, creating a humanitarian crisis.

The army statement said it had successfully broken the siege of its Signal Corps camp, one of the largest military installations in the city, located in Khartoum Bahri.

he tepoty notes that, despite violent extremism remaining a major obstacle to peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the quarter recorded a slight decrease in attacks compared to the other quarters.

The South Sudan National Police Service also reported rescuing 2,990 Sudanese nationals who are now seeking shelter and protection at various police stations in Juba.

The violence has been intensifying, with dozens of people killed in ethnically targeted attacks in Al-Jazirah State, located in south eastern Sudan.

The blackouts began on Monday after drone attacks on Merowe Dam, the country's largest, affected Sudan's northern state, while a technical issue affected the River Nile and Red Sea states.

The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Thursday, citing allegations against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure, and obstructing humanitarian aid while refusing to engage in peace talks last year.

He highlighted efforts to secure humanitarian assistance but admitted they had fallen short of ending the violence.

The RSF chose to withdraw after being overwhelmed in the lead-up to the takeover, sources in the paramilitary said.

The army posted a video appearing to show troops inside the city, which is the capital of El Gezira state, an agricultural and trading hub that has been held by the RSF since December 2023.

Since the outbreak of the war, when RSF soldiers looted dozens of banks and blocked farming, the army-aligned government has struggled to pay salaries.

Sudan's army and RSF have been fighting for almost two years, creating a humanitarian crisis in which UN agencies struggle to deliver relief.

Sudan accused Kenya of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and interfering in its internal affairs.

The suspension, initially announced in January, came as a protest against decisions made during an IGAD summit in Uganda, where RSF commander Hamdan Dagalo was given a platform alongside regional leaders.

Following his trip, Lamamra shared his hopes for an end to the conflict, and the role of the UN in bringing about peace in the country.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are engaged in a civil war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and are adamantly opposed to a famine declaration for fear it would result in diplomatic pressure to ease border controls and lead to greater foreign engagement with the RSF.