How Africa News
As a violent outbreak of conflict reached its second week, Pope Francis on Sunday urged cooperation between opposing military factions in Sudan.
“Unfortunately the situation remains grave in Sudan.
“That is why I am renewing my call for the violence to stop as quickly as possible and for dialogue to resume,” the pontiff said during traditional Sunday prayers in Saint Peter’s Square in Rome.
“I invite everyone to pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters,” he added.
France, Italy, Turkey and the United States are all evacuating citizens from Sudan.
More than 400 people have died and tens of thousands have been injured in brutal clashes between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary organization, which included tank combat in densely populated Khartoum and airstrikes by fighter jets.
The conflict over the proposed integration of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the regular army started on April 15 when forces loyal to army head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan clashed with those of the opposing Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The move was a key condition of a deal aimed at restoring Sudan’s democratic transition after the military toppled former leader Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 following mass citizen protests.
The two men had joined forces to oust a civilian government installed after Bashir’s downfall, before turning on each other.
