Sudan war: clashes near Um Ruwaba, airstrikes on Khartoum, companies report financial losses

One of the Golden Arrow company's showrooms in Khartoum before broke out on April 15 (Golden Arrow)

An unknown number of people were killed in clashes between an army force and members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Um Ruwaba in North Kordofan on Tuesday. Fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF persisted in large parts of Khartoum state. A petroleum company yesterday dismissed its staff due to the war. The Sudanese agent for Toyota reported that plundering of its showrooms continues.

Accounts of the clashes in the area of Um Ruwaba, near the border with South Kordofan, that broke out yesterday morning, are conflicting. 

An activist told Radio Dabanga that an army force of 15 vehicles coming from South Kordofan attacked an RSF post on the highway near the town on Tuesday morning.

“The attackers killed four RSF paramilitaries and captured four others and two of the vehicles,” he said. “In response, an RSF force was sent from El Rahad which chased the army soldiers who withdrew southwards all the way to El Abbasiya.”

The RSF force regained its position near the Um Ruwaba and their vehicles roamed the neighbourhoods and the town’s main market, where all shops were closed out of precaution.

The source said that there was no fighting inside the town. “An army cargo truck was set on fire, that was all. We heard heavy gunfire from the south that stopped around 11:00.”

Other residents of Um Ruwaba told Radio Dabanga that the army force based near the town was able to repel an RSF attack and redeployed its soldiers in various neighbourhoods of Um Ruwaba. They said the gunfire ceased on Tuesday afternoon.

Khartoum

Fighting between the army and the RSF continued in large parts of Khartoum, Omdurman and Khartoum North (Khartoum Bahri) yesterday.

Residents of Khartoum said the Sudanese air force bombed targets in the east and south of the city, in particular in and around El Medina El Riyadiya. The neighbourhoods of Arkaweet, Firdaws, and El Riyadh witnessed shelling.

SAF spokesperson Nabil Abdallah said that airstrikes on RSF posts in Omdurman, Khartoum North, and southeast Khartoum, destroyed several vehicles.

The RSF did not comment. The militia said on social media that it had provided protection to an agricultural convoy of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization^[1] (FAO) heading to El Daein, capital of East Darfur.

Dismissed

Sudan’s Trans Arabian Petroleum & Petrochemicals Company (TAPPCO) on Monday announced the termination of all its employees starting by August 1 due to the war.

The company’s director, Mohamed Sorour, told the employees that all activities of the company would be closed because of the inability to recover the company’s debts.

He said that the company will pay all its financial dues after the situation in the country has stabilised again.

Vehicles stolen

The Sudanese Golden Arrow Group, the exclusive agent for Toyota, Hino, and Yamaha in the country, reported the theft of 1,192 Toyota vehicles, 173 Hino trucks, and a large number of motorcycles from its showrooms and warehouses in Khartoum and Khartoum Bahri since the outbreak of the war in mid-April.

In a statement on Monday, legal advisors of the company said that the looting is still going on. They warned against any form of dealing with the stolen cars, trucks, or accessories, and threatened to take legal action against “those who carry out such acts”.

A large number of vehicles have been stolen since the war began, with some reportedly being moved out of Khartoum. The SAF announced the closure of the transport route^[2] between Bara in North Kordofan and Khartoum last week reportedly to stop the transfer of stolen vehicles.

References

1. ^{^} convoy of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (www.dabangasudan.org)
2. ^{^} closure of the transport route (www.dabangasudan.org)