Amid the clashes between Sudan’s army and paramilitaries, the death toll soared to at least 97 and several people were injured during the same, said the doctors’ union.

Death toll reaches 97 in Sudan clashes

According to the media reports, the statement by the doctors’ union mentioned that the death toll among civilians does not account for all casualties, as many individuals were unable to reach hospitals due to challenges with movement.

Moreover, on the second day of the violence, approx 56 civilians and three United Nations staff were killed.

Basically, the intense clashes between the well-equipped armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have led to widespread international condemnation and regional alarm. Sudan’s neighbouring countries, Egypt and Chad, have taken measures to close their borders with Sudan in response to the ongoing battles.

The violence ignited on Saturday after a period of internal power struggles between Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the heavily-armed RSF.

UN Proposal’s safe passage for humanitarian cases

According to the army, they had “agreed to a United Nations proposal to open a safe passage for humanitarian cases”, including the evacuation of wounded, for three hours which ended at 1700 GMT on Sunday.

The RSF has confirmed the measure, however, they said it would last four hours and both sides have maintained their right to “respond in the event of transgressions” from the other side.

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What’s RSF?

Taking notes from the RSF, it was established in 2013. It was originated from the Janjaweed militia, which earlier unleashed by then-president Omar al-Bashir to target non-Arab ethnic minorities in Darfur, resulting in allegations of war crimes.

The involvement of the RSF in the regular army had been a significant aspect of negotiations aimed at achieving a deal to restore civilian rule and resolve the political-economical crisis ignited by the military in 20011 in Sudan.

In a meeting regarding the situation in Sudan, the African Union announced that a high-ranking official would be dispatched “immediately” to the country with the mission of facilitating a ceasefire.

In response to a request from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Arab League convened an urgent meeting in Cairo.

During a press conference held in Abu Dhabi, Sudan’s former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok characterized the humanitarian situation in Sudan as “catastrophic” and called for a ceasefire, while also appealing for assistance, particularly from Arab nations.