Sudan anti-war coalition holds leadership meeting in Ethiopia
A coalition of pro-democracy parties kicked off a leadership meeting in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Tuesday, chaired by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
Known as Tagadum (“Progress”), the Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces includes several political parties, including the Forces of Freedom of Change and Umma Party, as well as representatives of unions, activist groups, and several neutral armed groups. The media committee of Tagadum said that the meeting addressed a number of political and organizational agendas:
“By holding a meeting of its leadership body the coalition affirms its determination to gather and unite the ranks of Sudanese men and women who believe in rejecting and stopping the war, achieving lasting comprehensive peace and establishing sustainable democratic civil rule under the slogans of the December Revolution: ‘freedom, peace and justice.’”
The day’s first session discussed humanitarian issues, featuring a paper presented by Dr. Omar Ahmed Saleh. The second session reviewed an organizational paper presented by Osman Mansour.
The third session discussed a work report of the Political Communication and Foreign Relations Committee.
Tagadum seeks to represent the large number of Sudanese who support neither the Sudanese military junta, nor its rival, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Critics of Tagadum have accused the coalition of being too close to RSF. Notably, Tagadum issued two press statements in the days preceding this conference, condemning RSF rape crimes and violations against civilians in Al-Jazira State. A third statement contemned recent miltiary airstrikes in North Darfur.
Tagadum and the RSF held a high-level meeting in Addis Ababa in January, soon after RSF leader Mohamed Dagalo first departed Khartoum on an international tour.
Attempts by the coalition to meet the leader of the other warring party, the army’s commander-in-chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, were unsuccessful. However, Al-Burhan publicly said he will meet Tagadum inside Sudan, not outside.
Decline of services at Al Nau Hospital
Ayin Network reports “a terrible decline in the provision of medical services” at Al-Nau Hospital in Omdurman, saying “this harsh reality belies the army’s war propaganda of returning life to the city after announcing the achievement of military progress.”
Services are being performed at high prices, beyond the means of the victims of war. “Citizens injured by bullets and artillery shelling are dying inside Al-Naw Hospital because they do not have the money for the surgical operations, in conditions that defy human conscience,” said a doctor speaking on condition of anonymity.
Medical supplies are lacking, including such basic items as butterflies needles used to inject intravenous fluids. Medical staff haven’t received any pay for three months, while the volunteer staff are completely ignored, and no financial incentives are given.
Kabkabiya airstrike
Aerial bombing by the Sudanese Armed Forces hit Kabkabiya in North Darfur in the early hours of April 1, before dawn, as well as the cities of Kutum and Melit. Sources from North Darfur reported the death of a woman and her daughter, in addition to the demolition of nine houses in the city of Kabkabiya, while no significant losses were recorded in the other cities that were bombed on Monday morning.
The Rapid Support Forces, which control the Kabkabiya area, published video clips of the damage, through their official media channels.
Another Darfur armed group, the Sudan Liberation Movement (Transitional Council), likewise condemned the airstrike saying,
“Why is the army bombing innocent civilians with warplanes? …We appeal to the international and regional community to activate a no-fly zone for military flights in the skies of the Darfur region for the safety of civilians. Innocent civilians are advised to dig trenches inside their homes in case of hearing the sound of airplanes. Taking shelter in the trenches can help save their lives from airstrikes that often occur at night.”
Conflict Videos
Continuing our monitoring of conflict-related videos, we verified the following videos, among others, from various frontline areas.
SAF patrol in western Khartoum
This is a video released by the official military media, which shows a SAF operation south of the Ammunition Corps base in western Khartoum, March 28. The patrol reaches about 1 km south of the base into the Azouzab neighborhood. One clip shows SAF troops at a captured RSF outpost, with beds and cooking materials used by the RSF troops. Afterwards they carry back captured supplies to their base.
RSF shoot down drone in Kadroo
This video shows a drone armed with a mortar bomb, which the RSF shot down in Kadroo, Khartoum Bahri, March 31, 2024. Sudan's army previously released videos of drone attacks in Kadroo. RSF recently pushed the army off the Kadroo road, reclaiming control in northern parts of Bahri.
Army’s gains limited in Ombada
Recent videos show the Sudanese army have pushed into eastern parts of Ombada, the western suburb of Omdurman, but haven’t yet made major progress. This video was filmed only 0.5 km from the industrial zone on Ombada Block 1.
RSF mortar crew
This is a video of RSF troops in Ombada, Khartoum State, firing a mortar north. Their likely target is the Markhiyat Camp, which is about 7.5 km from the site.
In brief
Fighting between the SPLM-N and the Sudan Armed Forces took place Saturday, March 31, in the Kwek area, 30 km from Kadugli, according to multiple sources.
RSF evacuated dozens of wounded officers to New Delhi, India, according to Sudanese medical sources, as quoted by Al-Taghyeer.
Tensions arose in Labado, South Darfur, between members of the Juba Peace Forces present in the area and the RSF. This led the RSF to threaten to expel the former Darfur rebels from the area forcibly, which caused the Native Administration to intervene by requesting the Juba Peace Forces to evacuate the area. The situation deescalated after the Juba Peace Forces complied with this demand. However, sources from the region told Sudan War Monitor that the situation is still very tense due to the deployment of the two forces in the region, which could lead to fighting if either side insists on imposing control on the town.
Sudan Tribune reports similar tensions between RSF and Juba Peace Forces in Mellit, North Darfur.
The Joint Force is seeking to reassert its presence in El Fasher after the withdrawal of one of its constituent groups, the SLM-TC.
A circulating video purporting to show an Egyptian airstrike on RSF vehicles coming from Libya is disinformation, according to fact-checking site Beam Reports. The clip dates to 2018 and has nothing to do with Sudan.
The acting governor of Gedaref State, Mohamed Abdel-Rahman, issued an emergency order banning gatherings of citizens “for any purpose,” and prohibiting transporting petroleum materials except with government approval.