First Red Cross aid arrives in Sudan after weeks of fighting

 

 
Red Cross aid landed in Sudan for the first time since fighting broke out between rival military forces three weeks ago, some rare good news in a conflict that shows little sign of ending.
Eight tonnes of medical aid arrived on Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement, offering relief to Sudan’s hard-hit medical facilities.
Thousands of foreign nationals have been evacuated from Sudan and thousands of local families have fled the capital Khartoum amid the clashes between the Sudan Armed Forces and the rival Rapid Support Forces .
Fresh gunfire was heard on Sunday near the closely contested presidential palace in the capital Khartoum, witnesses told CNN. A ceasefire agreed Friday has always been shaky and is due to expire on Sunday evening. The RSF says it will extend the truce for another 72 hours but there has been no immediate word from the army.
This weekend, the Sudanese police were deployed in Khartoum for the first time since the outbreak of the clashes to “maintain security” amid heavy looting.
Among those deployed were combat-trained police personnel from the Central Reserve Forces.
Residents on the ground have told CNN that markets and shops have been heavily targeted by looters in the past few days.
Hatem Awadallah, a German citizen of Sudanese origin who lives in Khartoum told CNN in a phone call that he had been the victim of looting by members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“I woke up at 1:30 a.m. to the sound of a Kalashnikov weapon that was placed on my head and a group of armed RSF men… demanding that I give them any amount of money – or I would be killed,” Awadallah said.
He added that his 83-year-old mother and family had also been threatened with guns by thieves who demanded money.
The family ended up surrendering $14,000 while thieves also stole another $5,000 and destroyed two iPhones and an iPad by shooting them.
“They looted a new car – a Toyota truck – and then left the house,” Awadallah said. “Three of our house guards who were tied up, told us that those who looted them came in four armed cars belonging to the RSF,” he said.
 Source : CNN