Khartoum: Increasing Casualties and Deprived of Sacrifices
Khartoum - (Citizens)
The residents of the capital, Khartoum, did not celebrate the days of Eid al-Adha (Islamic festival of sacrifice) due to the ongoing fierce clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), despite the ceasefire announced by both sides.
Eyewitnesses reported that intense fighting renewed south of the capital, Khartoum, with heavy and light weapons during the days of Eid.
The witnesses confirmed that military aircraft carried out airstrikes along with the sound of ground defenses, complicating the humanitarian situation on the ground.
According to witnesses, military aircraft also heavily flew over the city of Bahri, north of the capital Khartoum, on the first day of Eid, resulting in flames and smoke rising.
In the city of Omdurman, west of the capital Khartoum, witnesses reported hearing the sound of artillery due to the clashes between the warring factions.
On Tuesday evening, the Sudanese army commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, announced a unilateral ceasefire on the first day of Eid al-Adha.
On Monday evening, the leader of the Rapid Support Forces, Hemeti, declared a two-day unilateral ceasefire on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, starting from Tuesday.
Indiscriminate shelling
With the continuation of the clashes and indiscriminate shelling, about 12 members of a single family were killed in the Al-Haj Youssef neighborhood due to the indiscriminate shelling by military aircraft, just two days before Eid al-Adha.
One resident stated, The military aircraft targeted gatherings of the Rapid Support Forces, but stray shells hit neighboring houses, resulting in the death of 12 members of a single family.
He added, The indiscriminate shelling killed innocent people inside their homes, and the war must be stopped immediately.
In the southern neighborhoods of Khartoum, the indiscriminate shelling by military aircraft also caused partial and complete collapse of houses.
Eyewitnesses reported that the military aircraft shelled the May and Al-Azhari neighborhoods, south of the capital Khartoum, resulting in injuries to civilians and the collapse of houses.
Eid without sacrifices
On the first day of Eid, most of the residents of Khartoum suffered from a lack of funds, depriving them of buying sacrificial animals.
Abdulwahab Musa, a government employee, said, With the monthly salaries not being paid since the outbreak of the war on April 15 last year, our financial situation has worsened, and we are unable to buy essential needs.
Musa stated in his interview with Citizens, Due to the lack of money, I failed to buy a sacrificial animal, and my young children asked, but all the justifications were in vain.
He added, The joy of Eid is diminished, and my young children are sad because we couldnt buy a sacrificial animal.
Anwar Abdel Rahman, a university professor, said, Due to the suspension of the monthly salary, our lives have been severely affected, and I cannot afford daily necessities.
Abdel Rahman added in his interview with Citizens, All the promises made by the university administration to pay monthly salaries have failed, so I cannot buy a sacrificial animal this year.
He further said, We hope for the war to stop and life to return to normal.
Health Situation
Most hospitals in the capital Khartoum continue to suffer from deterioration and a shortage of essential services, especially electricity and water.
Medical sources informed Citizens that the situation in hospitals is catastrophic due to the shortage of medical staff and medications.
Eyewitnesses from inside Al-Ban Jadeed Hospital in the city of East Nile reported that the situation inside the hospital is alarming.
According to witnesses, the hospital suffers from a significant shortage of healthcare professionals, medical supplies, and blood bags.
The patients lie on the ground, with the spread of mosquitoes, and the power and water cuts have worsened the situation, they added.
Calls for Dialogue
Amid the ongoing military clashes and the failure of humanitarian ceasefires, the Sudan Doctors Union (non-governmental) called for renouncing violence and extremism.
In a statement, the union stated, As we congratulate our patient and persevering people on the arrival of Eid, with all its divine teachings and noble religious sermons, we have full confidence in the wisdom of our people and their peacefulness.
The union called on civil, service, trade union, civil society, and voluntary components and entities in the capital and the regions, in urban and rural areas, in neighborhoods and districts, inside and outside the young Sudanese land, in the reality of the ground and in the virtual world, to promote the spirit of social peace, human equality, renounce violence, extremism, dispersion, hate speech, racism, regional alignment, and anything that could further ignite the fire over the fragility of our land.
They added, The tradition of the Sudanese people is peace, their customs are dialogue and debate, and their history is solidarity against death, ruin, and destruction. Time tests the mettle of this historical being, who is capable of overcoming all obstacles, and peace will prevail no matter how many tanks obstruct its path.
For its part, the Forces of Freedom and Change (the former ruling coalition) in Sudan announced the continuation of its continuous role since the first day of this war to achieve a ceasefire and pave the way for its cessation.
The alliance stated in a statement, We also appreciate the unilateral announcements of the parties regarding a ceasefire on Arafah Day and the first day of Eid al-Adha, and the Rapid Support Forces announcement of the release of a number of prisoners on the occasion of the blessed Eid.
They added, We also call on the parties to immediately release the prisoners and detainees and prioritize the interests of the nation by promptly ending the war and all accompanying violations.
The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have been trading accusations of initiating the fighting and committing violations during a series of previous ceasefires that have failed to put an end to the ongoing clashes since April 15 last year. These clashes have resulted in casualties and injuries among civilians, as well as a new wave of displacement and refuge in one of the poorest countries in the world.
