Current:Home > reviewsSudan’s conflict reaches a key city that had been a haven for many. Aid groups suspend work or flee -InfiniteWealth
Sudan’s conflict reaches a key city that had been a haven for many. Aid groups suspend work or flee
View
Date:2025-04-27 20:23:58
CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s deadly conflict between a powerful paramilitary force and the army has reached a strategic city that had been a haven for hundreds of thousands of displaced people, and key humanitarian groups say they have been forced to suspend work there or flee.
On Tuesday, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of the Rapid Support Forces, announced that they had taken the city of Wad Medani about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Khartoum. The claim could not be independently verified.
Since the start of the conflict, the city had been governed by the army, headed by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and was a key hub for humanitarian organizations largely removed from the front lines of the fighting.
The military didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The army and RSF have been fighting for control of Sudan since April, when tensions boiled over into street battles concentrated in the capital but also occurring in other areas including the western Darfur region.
Over the past two months, the RSF has appeared to take the upper hand, with its fighters making advances eastwards across Sudan’s central belt.
The conflict began encroaching on Wad Medani early this month as RSF troops advanced. The Red Cross spokesperson for Africa, Alyona Synenko, told The Associated Press that fighting intensified in the vicinity of the city on Friday, prompting the aid group to withdrew its staff from the area.
Gasin Amin Oshi, who has close relatives in the city, said the RSF entered on Monday. Speaking by phone from Dubai, he said his family fled the city hours later.
Before the conflict, the city was home to several hundred thousand people.
According to the United Nations humanitarian office, at least 250,000 people have recently fled Jazeera state, where Wad Medani is the capital.
“Aid organizations have been forced to temporarily suspend operations because of the fighting,” spokesman Jens Laerke told a U.N. briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
The eight-month conflict has killed up to 9,000, according to the U.N., but local doctors groups and activists say the death toll is likely far higher.
veryGood! (45)
Related
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Mountainsides
- Kendrick Lamar to Perform at 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show
- Jonathan Owens scores Bears' first TD of the season on blocked punt return
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Joy in Mud Bowl: Football tournament celebrates 50 years of messy fun
- School districts race to invest in cooling solutions as classrooms and playgrounds heat up
- A Rural Arizona Water District Had a Plan to Keep the Supply Flowing to Its Customers. They Sued
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Ilona Maher posed in a bikini for Sports Illustrated. It matters more than you think.
Ranking
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Wisconsin health officials recall eggs after a multistate salmonella outbreak
- Hunter Woodhall wins Paralympic sprint title to join his wife as a gold medalist
- Broncos celebrate the safety dance in the first half with pair of safeties against the Seahawks
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Paige DeSorbo Swears Everyone Who Buys These Pants Loves Them So Much, They End Up Getting Every Color
- Ratepayers Have Had Enough Of Rising Energy Bills
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Romantic Weekend Includes Wedding and U.S. Open Dates
Recommendation
Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes Debunk Feud Rumors With U.S. Open Double Date
You can get a free Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut on Saturday. Here's how.
Which NFL teams have new head coaches? Meet the 8 coaches making debuts in 2024.
Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
Julianne Hough's Honest Revelations: What She's Said About Sexuality, Love, Loss and More
Scams are in the air this election season: How to spot phony donations, fake news
County official pleads guilty to animal cruelty in dog’s death