A senior government official in Sudan’s West Darfur State says they are working to defuse mounting tensions between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the state capital, El Geneina.
Dou El Beit Adam, a state peace advisor, told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that the state governor had set up a committee comprising Imams and native administration leaders to contain the crisis between the two warring parties.
“Discussions are continuing to contain the security situation and avoid bloodshed in the state,” he said.
Yousif Mohammed Yousif, a civil society activist in El Geneina, said the security situation remains tense, adding that the city has witnessed a mass exodus since Tuesday.
“The market is completely closed, although the situation is calm, but we don’t know what will happen in the coming hours,” he said.
Meanwhile, journalist and political analyst Esmat Ibrahim Mohammed said there was fear and panic among citizens after reports that the RSF plans to attack El Geneina following the capture of the army base in Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur State.
He revealed that there were some skirmishes in El Geneina town on Wednesday morning. “Heavy artillery fell on the house of Osman Khater, killing his wife and two daughters,” he added.
The local journalist expressed pessimism about the success of the ongoing talks between the army and the RSF under the auspices of the state authorities and the native administration.
The tension arose on Tuesday afternoon after the RSF, a paramilitary force, deployed more troops near the army base in El Geneina.