Sudan’s military is committed to a transition to civilian rule, the country’s top general said in his first speech since fighting between his forces and the African nation’s powerful paramilitary began nearly a week ago (Marwan Ali/AP)
/
Sudan’s military is committed to a transition to civilian rule, the country’s top general said in his first speech since fighting between his forces and the African nation’s powerful paramilitary began nearly a week ago (Marwan Ali/AP)
Eoghan Moloney
A teacher from Derry who is currently hiding in his basement amid heavy fighting in the Sudanese capital Khartoum has called on the Irish government to step up efforts to get his family to safety.
‘Brian’ - whose full name could not be used for his own safety - said he wanted to communicate “the urgency” of his family’s situation to the Irish government and called on them to do whatever they could to get his family out of Khartoum.
Brian and his family have been spending much of their time in his basement since the fighting erupted last weekend in Khartoum that has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded. A power struggle has broken out between the country’s military leadership and a rebel group the Rapid Support Forces.
“We are safe. We've been spending the bulk of our time in our basement. It seems safer to be below ground. We're here, And the situation is declining rapidly,” Brian told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“It doesn't sound like a ceasefire. Let's put it that way. I'm hearing bursts of gunfire. I'm hearing thuds of shelling. So yeah, I mean, it seems that whatever ceasefire was verbally communicated or sort of agreed, hasn't been upheld. And it seems that the fighting is continuing,” Brian said.
The teacher has been in touch with the nearest Irish embassy in Kenya to let them know his family, including his 18-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, want to be evacuated at the earliest opportunity.
“That would be the ideal situation. Absolutely… I just want to communicate the urgency of our situation. You know, I want to speak up on behalf of all Irish citizens here. And like I say, I know that conversations are happening…and I just want to communicate the urgency of it and, whatever efforts are being made, if you could please, please, please step them up, if possible, coordinate, collaborat, take whatever steps are necessary,” Brian said.
Brian said the violence erupted very suddenly over the weekend and that it caught most people by surprise.
It came as the country’s top general said Sudan’s military is committed to a transition to civilian rule, in his first speech since fighting between his forces and the African nation’s powerful paramilitary began nearly a week ago.
In a video message released early on Friday to mark the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, army chief General Abdel Fattah Burhan said: “We are confident that we will overcome this ordeal with our training, wisdom and strength, preserving the security and unity of the state, allowing us to be entrusted with the safe transition to civilian rule.”
The sounds of heavy fighting could be heard amid the call to prayer in the Sudanese capital, where mosques are expected to hold the morning services inside to protect worshippers.
People walk past closed shops in Khartoum, Sudan (Marwan Ali/AP)
/
People walk past closed shops in Khartoum, Sudan (Marwan Ali/AP)
The army chief’s statements came as his rivals claimed they would implement a three-day ceasefire for the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, based on “international and regional understandings”.
There was no immediate response from Mr Burhan to the ceasefire announcement.
Read More
Since he took control of the country in an October 2021 coup, Mr Burhan and his rival, commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have repeatedly promised to shepherd the country toward civilian rule.
However, both have failed to sign political agreements that would see their institutions lose power and open the way for democratic elections.
The video message is the first time Mr Burhan has been seen since fighting engulfed the capital and other areas of the country.
General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, commander of the Sudanese armed forces, speaks at an undisclosed location (Sudan armed forces/AP
/
General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, commander of the Sudanese armed forces, speaks at an undisclosed location (Sudan armed forces/AP
On Thursday, Sudan’s military ruled out negotiations with the rival RSF, saying it will only accept its surrender.
The two sides continued to battle in central Khartoum, the capital, and other parts of the country, threatening to wreck international attempts to broker a longer ceasefire.
The military’s statement raised the likelihood of a renewed surge in the nearly weeklong violence that has killed hundreds and pushed Sudan’s population to the breaking point.
Fears are growing that the country’s medical system is on the verge of collapse, with many hospitals forced to shut and others running out of supplies
“Ruin and destruction and the sound of bullets have left no place for the happiness everyone in our beloved country deserves,” Mr Burhan said in the speech.
Both sides have a long history of human rights abuses.
The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of widespread atrocities when the government deployed them to put down a rebellion in Sudan’s western Darfur region in the early 2000s.
The conflict has raised fears of a spillover from the strategically located nation to its African neighbours.
