American Observatory Report at the End of July: Iranian Drones and Bayraktar Involved in Khartoum Battles
Moatinoon
According to the American Sudan Conflict Observatory, 86 new buildings were completely or partially destroyed during the past two weeks from July 14 to July 28. This brings the total number of destroyed or damaged buildings in Khartoum state from 427 to 513.
The report indicated that the fighting, along with airstrikes and combat operations, resulted in the destruction and damage of hundreds of civilian buildings and infrastructure in various areas of Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri. It also led to civilian casualties, with deaths and injuries reported.
The report further revealed that during July alone, 46 buildings suffered significant damage.
While the report held the military responsible for the killing and injury of civilians and the destruction of protected civilian properties and infrastructure through airstrikes, it also blamed the Rapid Support Forces, stating that they attacked civilians, forcibly evicted them from their homes, looted houses and buildings, and used them in their military operations, including their personnel and vehicles.
The report highlighted that the deployment of Rapid Support Forces in civilian homes and buildings made them military targets, posing risks to nearby civilians and other nearby civilian areas.
The Sudanese Armed Forces were urged to ensure minimizing civilian harm to the utmost extent.
The report noted a significant development in the conflict, which is the increasing use of armed forces drones for surveillance, reconnaissance, and airstrikes. Satellite imagery analyzed in the report indicated the use of Iranian-made drones of the Qods Mohajer-6 model, as well as the first-time use of Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones, which were not previously part of its military inventory.
However, the documented airstrikes were found to be concentrated in a limited geographical area, primarily confined to the theater of operations in Khartoum state, with very few reported airstrikes in other locations.
Regarding the impact of the conflict on civilians, the report stated that the armed conflict has led to a large internal displacement of civilians in Khartoum, making it the largest single source of internal displacement in Sudan as of July 19, 2023.
Fleeing civilians from Khartoum state constitute 73.52% of the total documented displaced, with at least 1,975,000 displaced out of a minimum of 2,686,434 displaced across Sudan.
The report added that the airstrikes, shelling, and small arms fire throughout the city resulted in a significant number of injuries and deaths among civilians. However, the observatory mentioned that it is currently not possible to accurately assess the number of civilians killed due to this violence in Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri.
Regarding civilian freedom of movement and humanitarian aid access, the report stated that movement in Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri has become dangerous for both civilians and humanitarian workers. The warring parties often establish new checkpoints or alternate control through fighting. While one displaced person mentioned that locals remaining in these communities perceive checkpoints controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces to be less dangerous, fighting throughout the city makes every encounter unpredictable, and survival under these conditions becomes a matter of luck.
The warring parties have imposed sieges, checkpoints, and control measures on bridges connecting Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri, as well as roadblocks since the conflict began on April 15. This has significantly restricted the movement of civilians and humanitarian workers and hindered the flow of supplies.
Regarding humanitarian aid, the report highlighted that the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Khartoum state and through Sudan is extremely limited. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that aid teams and supplies have experienced 145 incidents in Khartoum state since the start of the conflict until the end of May (the latest update at the time of the reports release).
The report listed the types of attacks and incidents that hinder or prevent the arrival of humanitarian aid, including:
Bureaucratic obstacles
Violence against humanitarian assets
Violence against public facilities
Acts of hostility against humanitarian workers
Intervention or physical violence
OCHA reported that bureaucratic obstacles, active acts of hostility, violence against humanitarian workers and facilities have adversely affected and impeded humanitarian operations in Khartoum state.
The office recorded 90 incidents of looting of humanitarian assets in Khartoum state.
Furthermore, the arrival of humanitarian aid is also restricted due to the shortage of visas issued for humanitarian workers and the strict restrictions on the movement of humanitarian organizations to Khartoum, as reported by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
The Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) remains the entity responsible for granting visas to relief workers and issuing permits for humanitarian workers requesting to work in Sudan.
The report warned that civilians, especially vulnerable populations, will continue to suffer in the foreseeable future due to ongoing events hindering the access to much-needed humanitarian aid.
Under the title Critical Infrastructure, the report documented the impact of a hundred days of war on the infrastructure, stating that the conflict has caused power outages throughout the city, significantly reducing access to water and healthcare supplies.
The report mentioned that satellite images capturing the destruction of the water facility in Khartoum Bahri revealed that water storage tanks have dried up since early May. Previously, this station catered to the water needs of over 1.5 million people, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Under the title Medical Facilities and Individuals Under Attack, the report highlighted that the armed conflict has caused severe damage to healthcare services in the city since April 15, 2023, leading to a significant deterioration of the healthcare infrastructure in Khartoum and Sudan as a whole. Nearly 80% of the countrys medical services were operated by Khartoum state.
Hospitals have been frequently targeted since April 15, 2023, and many have repeatedly closed. Only five hospitals are still operating at full capacity throughout the city of Khartoum, while doctors continue to leave the city.
The conflict in Sudan has been characterized by widespread sexual and gender-based violence, which often goes underreported. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), an estimated 4.2 million civilians are vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence throughout Sudan as of July 20, 2023. Reports of such violence are likely grossly underreported, with CVAW estimating that the figure represents only 2% of cases. There have been increasing reports of sexual and gender-based violence, according to the United Nations Human Rights Office in Sudan, with the numbers of internally displaced women and children rising in Khartoum and Darfur. Perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence have been identified by survivors.
Arbitrary Detention of Political Activists
The Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces have arrested hundreds of political activists and medical volunteers in Khartoum since the conflict began. In February 2022, a United Nations human rights expert, Adam Adama Ding, commented on the repeated use of excessive force by security forces against political activists, considering it a violation of human rights.
The General Intelligence Service (GIS), formerly known as the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), has a history of arresting political activists who criticize the current political situation. The latest reported case occurred as of June 19, 2023.
In Bahri, Resistance Committees called for the release of three of its members as of June 19, 2023. Medical personnel, journalists, and political activists continue to be threatened, arrested, and assaulted by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces.
Source: conflictobservatory
Attached is the full report at the end of the page
