Inferno engulfs iconic landmarks of Khartoum amidst escalating Sudanese conflict
Devastating inferno engulfs iconic buildings in Khartoum as violent clashes intensify between Sudan's armed forces and a paramilitary group, triggering a blame game between warring factions
Sudan's warring factions are pointing fingers at each other following a destructive fire that engulfed iconic towers in the capital city of Khartoum. The incident occurred during intense clashes between the country's armed forces and a paramilitary group.
The towering Greater Nile Petroleum Oil Company building, standing at 18 stories high, was engulfed in thick black smoke on Sunday, as the fire ravaged through its glass exterior.
Additional towers, which housed the justice ministry, tax authority, and the Standards and Metrology Organization of the country, also caught fire. Local media shared images and videos on X (formerly Twitter) depicting the extent of the blaze. The cause of the fires and any potential loss of life remains unknown at this time.
On June 16, 2023, a striking image emerged, displaying lifeless bodies scattered outdoors near residences in the conflict-ridden capital of West Darfur state, El Geneina. This distressing scene unfolded amidst the persisting clashes involving two military generals in war-torn Sudan.
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On Monday, the foreign ministry, under the control of the Sudanese military, alleged that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had been responsible for "attacking several significant economic institutions and commercial structures within the country" in the last 48 hours.
The RSF, on the other hand, previously accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of conducting "deliberate assaults in Khartoum," resulting in damage to vital facilities, including the destruction of iconic buildings.
Massive flames engulf the building that houses the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Authority.
Aerial bombings have escalated since the outbreak of fighting in mid-April between the Sudanese army and the RSF. These airstrikes have targeted and caused significant harm to civilian populations in populated areas.
A Sudanese doctors union reported that a market in southern Khartoum was struck by an airstrike a week ago, resulting in the loss of 43 lives. Additionally, another 32 civilians were killed in a similar strike in Omdurman, also located in Khartoum, just days prior.
According to UN figures, the conflict between the military in Sudan and the RSF has resulted in a death toll of at least 5,000 people, with over 12,000 injured. Despite peace agreements facilitated by the United States and Saudi Arabia, the conflict remains unresolved.
The International Organization for Migration reports that over 4 million individuals have been displaced by the violence throughout Sudan, with over half of them having fled from the capital alone.
