Cape Town – A woman from Cape Town has reportedly called on the government to assist South African citizens to get out of Sudan, as fighting between rival forces rages in the capital, Khartoum.
Explosions shook Khartoum on Tuesday evening despite claims of a ceasefire on the fourth day of fighting that has killed nearly 200, AFP reported.
A weeks-long power struggle erupted into battles on Saturday between the forces of two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup: army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Since then, international calls have mounted for an end to hostilities that have spawned increasing lawlessness, death and damage.
According to EWN, Birgitte Davy from Cape Town told of a dire situation in Khartoum.
“I want to just mention to South Africans how dire the situation is here. We need all your help; we need all your prayers and especially to my family, I want to say thank you for what you’ve done. To the South African government, I want to say you need to have a plan to come and get us because there might be a ceasefire in the next few days and then we need to be evacuated.” the report quoted Davy as saying.
More than 1 800 have been injured, according to the United Nations.
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Dirco head of diplomacy, Clayson Monyela tweeted that the SA Embassy in Sudan like all others was not operational, adding that the airport was closed but all options were being explored to evacuate South African nationals.
“The SA embassy like all others are not operational. The streets are dangerous. There’s intense fighting including airstrikes. Civilians have been killed. For now, we advise everyone to stay indoors. All options are being explored to assist our nationals. We don’t need drama pls,” said Monyela.
He added: “Airport is closed. The embassy will only know if you’re in a particular country if you let them know. We always make this call. Government has previously evacuated nationals from similar situations once conditions allow. We’re on it,” said Monyela.
The SA embassy like all others are not operational. The streets are dangerous. There’s intense fighting including airstrikes. Civilians have been killed. For now, we advise everyone to stay indoors. All options are being explored to assist our nationals. We don’t need drama pls.
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) April 18, 2023
Meanwhile, former president Thabo Mbeki has appealed to Sudanese military rivals to end the “unacceptable violent conflict”.
“I appeal to generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo immediately to end the fighting, which among others is imposing negative consequences on the civilian population,” he said through the Thabo Mbeki Foundation on Tuesday,” Times Live quoted Mbeki as saying.
He said if the two sides continued to fight it would not lead to a peaceful transition to civilian rule, which the people of Sudan wanted.
“The current violent conflict by the official armed Sudan formations will not solve any of these problems but will, instead, further postpone their resolution, said Mbeki, according to IOL.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile also appealed to Sudanese military rivals to end the ongoing conflict.
Speaking at the African Continental Free Trade Area business forum in Cape Town on Tuesday, Mashatile said that the deadly conflict was destabilising the country, EWN reported.
“We are particularly concerned about the rising numbers of civilian loss of life, the destruction of private and public infrastructure, the likely humanitarian disaster that is likely to arise with the entrapment of civilians in their houses with no access to food and other basic necessities,” he said.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
