Sudan: Thousands flee al Jazira safe-haven as fighting rages – UN
The United Nations says at least 250,000 people have fled the raging violence in a Sudanese state once seen as a safe haven for those escaping the civil war.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have recently wreaked havoc in the city of Wad Madani, in al Jazira state.
For months, both places have housed large numbers seeking safety from fighting in the capital, Khartoum.
Residents stated the RSF, who are fighting the army, assaulted a hospital and took over a military base.
The world community is concerned that the war, which began in April, is spreading extensively beyond Khartoum among other hot beds.
The violence has displaced over seven million people, destroyed Khartoum, produced a humanitarian crisis, and spurred ethnically motivated killings in Darfur.
Earlier, the Chairman of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat has appealed to the warring parties in Sudan to cease hostilities and return to the negotiating table for talks, aimed at finding lasting peace in the country.
The AU chief reiterates the commitment of the continental body to continue working with the concerned players, as well as regional and global stakeholders to reach a meaningful settlement to the country’s current situation.
According to the UN, more than 12,000 people have been killed and over 33,000 have been injured as a result of the fighting.
Reports say more than 25 million people of half of the country’s population are in need of dire humanitarian aid while several others have been displaced.
