320 Sudan troops flee fighting to Chad
This picture taken on April 16, 2023, shows Sudanese army soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, posing for a picture at the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) base in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan.PHOTO/ AFP
What you need to know:
- Chad had closed Saturday its border crossings with Sudan, stretching for more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) across open desert, which are often crossed by rebel groups from both countries.
Around 320 Sudanese soldiers have fled the fighting raging in their country to neighbouring Chad, the country's defence minister said Wednesday.
"They arrived in our territory, were disarmed and detained" on Sunday, General Daoud Yaya Brahim told a press conference, saying the troops feared being killed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) battling those of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
"The situation in Sudan is worrying and deplorable, we have taken all the necessary measures in the face of this crisis," the minister said.
He added, however, that "this war does not concern us, it's between the Sudanese, and we must remain vigilant against all eventualities."
He declined to give further details, on the fifth day of combat in Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 270 civilians, foreign embassies said Wednesday.
Chad had closed Saturday its border crossings with Sudan, stretching for more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) across open desert, which are often crossed by rebel groups from both countries.
Thousands of people have fled the shooting and bombings in Khartoum since fighting erupted between two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup: Al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the RSF.
It followed a bitter dispute between the two generals over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army -- a key condition for a final deal aimed at restoring Sudan's democratic transition.
