Khartoum, Sudan - July 05, 2024

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have engaged in intense battles in the southeast of the country, causing the fighting to gradually spread to the southeastern regions in the past few days.

The two sides continued clashes in Sennar State, White Nile State and Blue Nile State which are in the southeastern part of Sudan, bordering South Sudan.

At present, the RSF has occupied most areas of Sennar State and is using it as a base to continue advancing towards the east and south.

The SAF, in response, has deployed large reinforcements to the region, while also continuously launching air strikes, carrying out massive bombardment on the military camps of the RSF.

The RSF on Saturday announced in a statement the death of Brigadier General Abdel Rahman Al-Bishi who served as their operational leader for Sennar State. The statement says that Al-Bishi was planning to lead his troops to Blue Nile State.

The UN World Food Program (WFP) on Saturday expressed deep concerns over the escalation of fighting in Sennar State, adding that over 136,000 people have fled their homes.

The organization warned that the route from Port Sudan to Kosti which cuts through Sennar is currently inaccessible, describing the route as a lifeline to get assistance to hundreds of thousands of people in the country.

In addition, it said that a logistics hub in White Nile State is completely cut off from the outside world, severely limiting the humanitarian aid organizations' relief work in the southeastern part of the country.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023. The conflict has so far claimed more than 18,000 lives and displaced over 10 million people nationwide, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Shotlist:
Khartoum, Sudan - July 5, 2023:
1. Various of dense smoke rising from conflict zone;
FILE: Sudan - Date Unknown
2. Various of houses; smoke billowing;
FILE: Sudan - Exact Date Unknown
3. Collapsed buildings;
FILE: Metropolitan Area of Khartoum, Sudan - 2023
4. Burnt car, rubble;
FILE: Greater Capital Area, Sudan - 2023
5. Various of charred vehicles;
6. Aerial shots of buses, pedestrians, armed personnel on pick-up trucks;
7. Various of vehicles carrying fighters;
FILE: Khartoum, Sudan - Exact Date Unknown
8. Various of joint force, weapons;
9. Traffic;
Port Sudan, Sudan - Recent
10. Various of refugees, camps.

[Restriction - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya TV/Middle East Broadcasting Center]