New fighting before the end of Ramadan in Sudan’s capital

There was still fighting in the Sudanese capital Khartoum a few hours before the start of the celebrations to mark the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. A reporter from the German news agency reported on Thursday evening about explosions and rocket attacks. Only a few shops are open, the markets of the city are closed. According to media reports, the Arab League is urging both sides for a ceasefire during the celebrations.

The Eid at the end of Ramadan, which begins this Friday, is considered an important religious holiday in Islam. Many Muslims traditionally spend the multi-day celebrations with their families and relatives. In Khartoum, however, many residents have been trapped in their homes for days. Welthungerhilfe warned that they were running out of food and water.

Another DPA reporter in Khartoum reported that thousands had fled the particularly hard-fought parts of the city. They would rise to the challenge of either locking themselves up at home – at risk of being bombed – or fleeing – at risk of being shot.

In the Northeast African country, the power struggle between the army and the once allied paramilitary unit Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalated over the weekend. The gold and oil-rich country with about 46 million inhabitants has been led by a transitional military government since 2019. According to the United Nations, nearly 16 million people were already dependent on humanitarian aid before the current fighting began. (sda/dpa)