Sudanese Fighters: US urges Sudanese fighters to halt advance on aid hub

US warns of grave risks to civilians and relief efforts in the recent clashes between Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces. Urges fighters to steer clear of an aid hub sheltering tens of thousands of people.
Nearly half a million displaced people have sought refuge in Sudan’s Al-Jazirah state, with over 86,000 in its capital, Wad Madani, according to UN data.
Sudanese armed forces clashed with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), capturing the city on Friday. As a result, the UN humanitarian agency has halted aid operations in the state “until further notice.”
“Wad Madani has become a safe haven for displaced civilians and is an important hub for international humanitarian relief efforts. A continued RSF advance risks mass civilian casualties and significant disruption of humanitarian assistance efforts,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
“We urge the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan to cease their advance in Gezira State immediately and to refrain from attacking Wad Madani,” Miller said.
Since its inception in April, the conflict between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and former deputy RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo has resulted in over 12,190 deaths, as per a conservative estimate by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, AFP reported.
UN figures report over 5.4 million internally displaced and around 1.3 million seeking refuge abroad.
RSF fighters had been making steady progress toward Wad Madani for weeks, down the highway from Khartoum 110 miles (180 kilometers) to the north.