Violent clashes renewed at dawn today, Saturday, in the vicinity of the General Command of the Sudanese Army in Khartoum, using various weapons, while columns of smoke rose intensely in the area.

Yesterday, Friday, the Sudanese army announced the handover of 30 minor prisoners (under the age of 18) from the Rapid Support Forces to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The army said in a statement: “Today, in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum, we handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross 30 minor children who were detained by army forces while they were fighting within the ranks of the disbanded rebel Rapid Support militia during previous battles.”

The statement pointed out: “Representatives of the international organization will hand them over to the National Council for Child Welfare in preparation for handing them over to their families.”

There was no immediate comment from the International Committee of the Red Cross or the Rapid Support Forces regarding the army’s statement.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Mission in Sudan, UNITAMS, confirmed that it remained in close contact with the army and the Rapid Support Forces to urge them to cease fire.

Since mid-April, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have been engaged in clashes that no truce has been able to stop, leaving 5,000 people dead, most of them civilians, and more than 12,000 wounded, according to the briefing presented by the resigned UN envoy, Volker Peretz, before the UN Security Council on the 13th of this September.

While the United Nations confirmed in previous data that there are more than 5 million displaced people and refugees inside and outside the country.

The army, led by the head of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti), are exchanging accusations of responsibility for starting the fighting and committing violations during successive truces.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency