Nairobi – The Former Prime Minister of Sudan, Abdalla Hamdok has expressed grave concerns over the ongoing conflict in his country, warning that the ongoing bloody war could escalate to levels worse than those seen in Syria and Libya, both of which have been mired in protracted civil wars.
Speaking at the Mo Ibrahim Governance Forum in Nairobi on Saturday, Hamdok, who served as Sudan’s Prime Minister from August 2019 to March 2021, has referred the conflict in his country “as a senseless unwinnable war” that could have dire consequences for the region and the world.
According to the World Health Organization, the ongoing unrest in Sudan has resulted in the death of at least 459 people and injuries to over 4,000.
The situation has escalated to the point where parts of Khartoum have turned into a war zone.
Despite a 72-hour ceasefire, agreed upon by Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), that has been enforced since Tuesday midnight local time (Monday 6 p.m. ET), fighting is still going on across the capital.
The core of the clashes are two individuals; Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s military ruler and head of the army, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (widely known as Hemedti), the Deputy of the country and leader of the RSF paramilitary group.
Both men had previously worked together to overthrow ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and played a significant role in the military coup of 2021. However, tensions arose during the discussions of integrating the RSF into the military, which is part of the plan to reinstate civilian rule.
The conflict in Sudan has been ongoing since the ousting of long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. The country has been in a state of political transition ever since, with a power-sharing agreement in place between civilian leaders and the military.
Meanwhile, Hamdok, who led the civilian government, overthrown in a military coup, called for an immediate end to the violence and for all parties to engage in dialogue to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The Former Prime Minister’s warning comes as the international community is increasingly concerned about the situation in Sudan. The United Nations has called for urgent action to address the crisis, and the African Union has appointed a special envoy to help mediate the conflict.
The International Crisis Group has warned that if the ongoing conflict in various Sudanese cities that have resulted in the deaths is not stopped, it could escalate into a catastrophic civil war.
Facebook Comments