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☆ Opinion: How Putin’s ‘cat’s paw’ sunk into Sudan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

International sanctions complicated Russia’s finances, so the Kremlin used the Wagner Group to get its hands on Sudan’s gold mines. It wasn’t the first time Wagner, Putin’s cat’s paw, had moved deep into mineral-rich Africa. It wanted one on the Mediterranean, which was one of the reasons it intervened – with a strong Wagner Group presence – in the Syrian civil war. But his credibility is in tatters (asked about Wagner’s massacres in Mali a few years ago, he answered “the Wagner Group does not exist”). And all for the sake of two men’s quest for power, aided by the machinations of the Kremlin and the maneuvers of its Wagner Group.

CNN —The violence that has exploded in Sudan as the country’s two top generals grapple for power has unfolded at a terrifying, breakneck speed. Hemedti uses this discourse as a bloody shirt to maintain his influence and military forces for future use,” Fareid said. Marwan Ali/APFrom a subclan of the Mahariya Rizeigat tribe, nomadic people that herded camels in Darfur, Hemedti got his start as a commander of the Janjaweed. Unlike Sudan’s former dictator, Hemedti has not faced charges from the International Criminal Court. The general’s shared sense of impunity was underlined in October 2021, when they staged a coup, arresting Hamdok and his cabinet.

☆ Sudan conflict: 'Am I going to get killed in front of my family?' Stories of terror on the risky escape route
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Sana Noor Haq Catherine Nicholls Celine Alkhaldi Magdy Samaan | Sana Noor Haq | Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Safa Babikir was sleeping in her aunt’s house in Khartoum when she was woken by gunfire. Then, she says, “the screams started.”Desperate to escape the fierce fighting in Sudan’s capital, Babikir soon made a decision to flee the country on a treacherous bus journey to neighboring Egypt. In Sudan, bus drivers are avoiding areas under RSF control, according to al-Idrisi, as they try to avoid skirmishes between the armed forces and the paramilitary group. “The darkest thought I had was, am I going to get killed in front of my family? “Ultimately they were able to escape Khartoum; which seems to be the ultimate mission for a lot of people,” Imad said.

☆ A 'tinderbox' with no easy off-ramps: What the Sudan conflict means for the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan on April 19, 2023. "We urge the Sudanese army to respect the ceasefire and its conditions to alleviate the suffering of innocent civilians. - | Afp | Getty ImagesNotorious Russian mercenary force Wagner Group has been linked to various commercial and military operations in Sudan. Italian citizens are boarded on an Italian Air Force C130 aircraft during their evacuation from Khartoum, Sudan, in this undated photo obtained by Reuters on April 24, 2023. "The RSF is likely to target oil infrastructure linking South Sudan with Khartoum and the export terminal at Port Sudan," Verisk Maplecroft's Hunter suggested.

☆ US troops rushed to evacuate embassy staff from Sudan, but thousands of Americans remain with advice to 'shelter in place'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US special operators evacuated American embassy personnel from Sudan, where intense fighting continues. Thousands of Americans, however, remain in country and have been warned to "shelter in place." The Washington Post reported Sunday that an estimated 16,000 Americans, many of whom hold dual citizenship, remain in Sudan, where they have been encouraged to "shelter in place." Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan on April 19, 2023. The officer noted though that 'tThis is an unfolding situation, and we cannot provide more details for security reasons."

☆ US and France evacuate diplomats from Sudan as battles rage on
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan," Biden said in a statement. It pits Sudan's army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who jointly staged a coup in 2021 but fell out during negotiations over a plan to form a civilian government and integrate the RSF into the armed forces. Saudi Arabia has already evacuated Gulf citizens from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, 650 km (400 miles) from Khartoum. Egypt, which has more than 10,000 citizens in Sudan, urged its nationals outside Khartoum to head to its consulate in Port Sudan, and to a consular office in Wadi Halfa on the border with Egypt, in preparation for their evacuation. It encouraged those in Khartoum to shelter in place and wait for the situation to improve.

CNN —Canada has told its citizens in Sudan that evacuations are “not possible at this time” due to the closure of airspace amid fierce fighting between rival forces. Earlier on Saturday, Saudi Arabia said it had evacuated Canadian nationals from Sudan to Saudi Arabia. However, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not provide the number of Canadians it had helped to evacuate. There are 1,596 Canadians signed up to the Registration of Canadians Abroad Service in Sudan but this number provides only an estimate of Canadians in Sudan as registration is voluntary. Canadian citizens can register through the Registration of Canadians Abroad service on the Travel.gc.ca site.

☆ Special forces swiftly evacuate US embassy staff from Sudan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan on April 19, 2023. U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the American embassy in warring Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital, Khartoum, with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. However, John Bass, a U.S. undersecretary of state, denied claims by one faction, Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, that it assisted in the U.S. evacuation. Biden had ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation from his national security team, with no end in sight to the fighting. The U.S. evacuation planning for American employees of the embassy got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum.

The army and the paramilitary RSF, which are waging a deadly power struggle across the country, had both issued statements saying they would uphold a three-day ceasefire from Friday for Islam's Eid al-Fitr holiday. The army has air power but the RSF is widely embedded in urban areas including around key facilities in central Khartoum. Burhan said the army was providing safe pathways but that some airports including in Khartoum and Darfur's largest city Nyala were still problematic. [1/5] People gather to get bread during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, April 22, 2023. The army on Friday accused the RSF of raiding the prison, which the paramilitary force denied.

[1/5] People gather to get bread during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, April 22, 2023. The army and the paramilitary RSF, which are waging a deadly power struggle across the country, had both issued statements saying they would uphold a three-day ceasefire from Friday for Islam's Eid al-Fitr holiday. The army has air power but the RSF is widely embedded in urban areas including around key facilities in central Khartoum. The army said the United States, Britain, France and China would evacuate diplomats and other nationals from Khartoum "in the coming hours". The army on Friday accused the RSF of raiding the prison, which the paramilitary force denied.

CNN —The two rival forces battling for control in Sudan have both said they are ready to help evacuate foreign nationals, raising hopes international powers could soon rescue stranded citizens after a week of fighting. On Friday, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said they were ready to partially reopen all airports in Sudan to air traffic to allow countries to evacuate their nationals. Fierce fighting broke out in Sudan last Saturday between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), commanded by Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the paramilitary RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The State Department does not keep official counts of US citizens in foreign countries and Americans are not required to register when they go abroad. US State Department officials told staffers estimated 16,000 American citizens in Sudan, most of whom are dual nationals.

☆ What Is Happening in Sudan? The Fighting Explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Nicholas Bariyo | Gabriele Steinhauser | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Photo: El Tayeb Siddig/ReutersA rivalry between Sudan’s top two generals erupted into warfare on April 15, pitting the East African country’s military against a state-sponsored militia called the Rapid Support Forces. The military is using jet fighters to strike RSF positions, many in densely populated areas, while both factions are engaging in street battles using guns and artillery fire. Tens of thousands of Sudanese have fled their homes, while millions are trapped with diminishing supplies of food and water. Why is there fighting in Sudan? Two years later, they toppled a civilian transitional government that was meant to lead the country toward democratic elections.

☆ Russia’s Wagner Offered Arms to Sudanese General Battling Army
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jared Malsin | Benoit Faucon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo at a press conference at Rapid Support Forces headquarters in Khartoum, Sudan, in February. Photo: MOHAMED NURELDIN ABDALLAH/REUTERSRussia’s paramilitary Wagner Group has offered heavy weapons to the leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Force, one of two rival factions battling for control of the East African country, according to a current and a former U.S. official, and a person close to the Sudanese general. The Kremlin-backed group has offered to send arms, including shoulder-mounted MANPADS antiaircraft missiles, that it has in neighboring Central African Republic, where Wagner has been active in recent years, these people said.

☆ Sudan's RSF agrees to ceasefire for Eid, residents report gunfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said it had agreed to a 72-hour truce from 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Friday but residents of Khartoum and its sister city Bahri reported gunfire as Sudanese troops deployed in the cities on foot. The RSF early on Friday announced a ceasefire after six days of fighting to coincide with the start of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr and to allow residents to reunite with their families. "The truce coincides with the blessed Eid al-Fitr ... to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens and give them the opportunity to greet their families," the RSF said in a statement. Khartoum, the capital, was rocked by bombing and shelling before the ceasefire announcement and witnesses heard gunfire as the ceasefire, and morning Eid prayers, were due to begin. Residents said soldiers were deploying on foot into some neighbourhoods, apparently indicating that the army was preparing for more clashes.

[1/4] Sudanese cartoonist Khalid Albaih works at his home as a TV news broadcast shows images from Sudan, in Oslo, Norway April 20, 2023. "Art is needed in times like this because it is important to show people art is about hope, art is about showing there is a different way to talk about things," Albaih told Reuters. "Art is continuous resistance. Art is our way to continue fighting." Reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Explainer: Sudan's conflict and what worries neighbours, the U.S. and others
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Five of Sudan's seven neighbours - Ethiopia, Chad, Central African Republic, Libya and South Sudan - have faced political upheaval or conflict themselves in recent years. Smoke rises from burning aircraft inside Khartoum Airport during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan April 17, 2023. SOUTH SUDAN - South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan in 2011 after a civil war lasting decades, exports its oil output of 170,000 barrels per day via a pipeline through its northern neighbour. Analysts say neither side in Sudan's conflict has an interest in disrupting those flows but South Sudan's government said this week fighting had already hampered logistics and transport links between the oilfields and Port Sudan. THE UNITED STATES AND THE WEST - The United States, like other Western powers, was happy to be rid of Bashir, who was charged with genocide and war crimes by the International Criminal Court over the Darfur conflict.

☆ US to send additional troops to Djibouti in case of Sudan evacuation- official
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - The United States is preparing to send a large number of additional troops to its base in Djibouti in case of an eventual evacuation from Sudan, a U.S. official said as renewed heavy gunfire erupted on Thursday. The State Department previously told U.S. citizens in Sudan to remain sheltered in place indoors. Sudan's military ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, heads a ruling council installed after the 2021 military coup and the 2019 ouster of veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir. Sudan has been a focus of U.S. diplomatic efforts in Africa as Washington works to counter Russian influence in the country and the wider region. Russia is investing in gold mining in Sudan and has been trying to finalize an agreement establish a naval base on Sudan's Red Sea coast.

[1/4] People gather at the station to flee from Khartoum during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan April 19, 2023. Guterres and senior officials from the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt called Sudan's army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to urge an end to violence. Urging a three-day ceasefire, he said civilians trapped in conflict zones should be allowed to escape and to seek medical treatment, food and other supplies. Witnesses in the city of El-Obeid, east of Darfur, described clashes between the army and RSF troops and widespread looting. Many other local people remain trapped, along with thousands of foreigners in a city that has become a war zone.

☆ Sudan: People scramble to leave Khartoum after attempted ceasefires fail to stop violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Eyewitnesses said Thursday that reinforcements for the paramilitary RSF were on their way to Khartoum when army forces confronted them with warplanes and ground forces. There was an increase in the number of people at bus stops, trying to leave Khartoum and escape the fighting, according to witnesses. A water and electricity crisis has continued in Khartoum, with food shortages in shops and pharmacies closed, eyewitnesses say. The union also said that five ambulances had been attacked by military forces, and others were prevented from transporting patients for treatment and delivering aid. A latest attempt to strike a ceasefire for 24 hours was quickly upended late on Wednesday, when clashes erupted north of Khartoum.

[1/2] Smoke rises from burning aircraft inside Khartoum Airport during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan April 17, 2023. Gunfire was heard in Bahri and residents reported violent clashes west of Omdurman where they said the army had moved to block the arrival of RSF reinforcements. Some of the most intense fighting has been focussed around the compound housing the army HQ and the residence of Sudan's military ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The army controls access to Khartoum and appeared to be trying to cut off supply routes to RSF fighters, residents and witnesses said. More people have been leaving the capital with most able to pass but some stopped at checkpoints, according to residents and social media posts.

☆ Exclusive: Evidence emerges of Russia’s Wagner arming militia leader battling Sudan’s army
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Nima Elbagir Gianluca Mezzofiore Tamara Qiblawi Barbara Arvanitidis | Nima Elbagir | Gianluca Mezzofiore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN —The Russian mercenary group Wagner has been supplying Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with missiles to aid their fight against the country’s army, Sudanese and regional diplomatic sources have told CNN. Haftar has backed the RSF, sources say, although he denies taking sides. That day, Russia airdropped surface-to-air missiles to Dagalo’s militia positions in northwest Sudan, according to regional and Sudanese sources. For years, Dagalo has been a key beneficiary from Russian involvement in Sudan, as the primary recipient of Moscow’s weapons and training. Egypt has a long-standing relationship with Burhan and has privately backed him in the power struggle, according to Sudanese and regional diplomatic sources.

☆ Rival factions defy ceasefire to bombard Sudan's capital, Japan plans evacuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Smoke rises from the tarmac of Khartoum International Airport as a fire burns, in Khartoum, Sudan April 17, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Air strikes and explosions hammered Sudan's capital on Wednesday after the failure of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between the army and paramilitary forces, forcing residents to stay hunkered down and prompting Japan to prepare to evacuate its citizens. At least 270 people have been killed and 2,600 injured in the fighting, the World Health Organization said, citing Sudan's health ministry. Khartoum residents were asked to limit their electricity usage, as the state's distribution authority said the servers that manage online purchases of power were out of service. The fighting, which pits Sudan's military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against RSF chief General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, followed rising tensions over a plan for the RSF's integration into the regular military.

“According to the information we have in Khartoum, 50% of hospitals have been out of action in the first 72 hours,” said Abdalla Hussein, the Médecins Sans Frontière operational manager for Sudan. On Wednesday, Japan said it was preparing to send its military to evacuate nationals from Sudan. Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan, on Wednesday. The RSF denied the claims, blaming Sudan’s armed forces for committing the crimes while wearing RSF uniforms. The armed forces have denied involvement in the violations, and reiterated accusations that the RSF has committed crimes against humanity.

The army's high command said it would continue operations to secure the capital and other regions. Khartoum residents were asked to limit their electricity usage, as the state's distribution authority said the servers that manage online purchases of power had gone out of service. Many residents planned to travel south to rural areas of Khartoum state or Gezira state if the ceasefire had held. The outbreak of fighting pitting Sudan's military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against RSF chief General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, followed rising tensions over a plan for the RSF's integration into the regular military. Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Khartoum, Nafisa Eltahir; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia's private Wagner Group denies it is operating in Sudan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People gather outside PMC Wagner Centre, which is a project implemented by the businessman and founder of the Wagner private military group Yevgeny Prigozhin, during the official opening of the office block in Saint Petersburg, Russia, November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Igor Russak/File PhotoApril 19 (Reuters) - The Russian private military Wagner Group on Wednesday denied it was operating in Sudan and said it had nothing to do with battles rocking the giant impoverished African state. Western diplomats in Khartoum said in March 2022 that Wagner was involved in illicit gold mining in Sudan, among other activities. Sudan denied this was the case. Companies associated with Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin have no financial interests in Sudan, it added, saying the conflict was a purely internal Sudanese affair.

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