Sudan on the brink of all out civil war

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Sudan is edging ever closer to outright civil war. He also condemned an air strike that killed more than 20 people and widespread violence in Darfur.

The United Nations chief on Sunday warned that the "ongoing war between the armed forces has pushed Sudan to the brink of a full-scale civil war, potentially destabilizing the entire region."

Guterres made his assessment in a statement that also condemned a deadly air strike in Sudan's Omdurman city a day earlier.

What else did the UN chief say?

"There is an utter disregard for humanitarian and human rights law that is dangerous and disturbing," Guterres said in the statement, relayed by his deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.

Gutteres was also said to be appalled by reports of large-scale violence and casualties across Sudan's Darfur region where the UN has warned of possible crimes against humanity , as well as North Kordofan, South Kordofan and the southern Blue Nile State.

The Secretary-General reiterated his appeal for the Sudanese Armed Forces and its rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to stop fighting and commit to a lasting end to hostilities.

Guterres condemned an air strike on Saturday that was reported to have killed at least 22 people in the capital Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman, which lies on the other side of the Nile.

The RSF claimed the attack killed 31 people.

Thousands dead in conflilct

Sudan descended into chaos in mid-April after months of tension between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his rival Mohammed Hamdan Daga burst into open fighting.

Source: DW