Sudanese Journalists' Union Calls For Evacuation Of RT Arabic, Alhurra Reporters - Reports

Faizan Hashmi Published April 17, 2023 | 12:00 AM

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th April, 2023) The Sudanese Journalists' Union called on the country's authorities on Sunday to evacuate reporters working for the RT Arabic and the US-owned Alhurra broadcasters who cannot leave their offices in the center of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum because of shelling, RT said on its Russian-language Telegram channel.

The report cited RT Arabic head Maya Manna as saying that the journalists' union urged the Sudanese authorities to evacuate their colleagues working for RT Arabic and Alhurra, stressing that the employees are living in harsh conditions.

One of RT Arabic correspondents, who is currently staying with his team at the broadcaster's office, was quoted as saying that they have no access to food or water since Saturday and cannot venture out of the building because of fierce fighting between the Sudanese regular army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Clashes between the Sudanese regular army and the RSF broke out on Saturday, with the epicenter in Sudan's capital of Khartoum. Government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launched airstrikes against their bases.

The RSF claimed control of the presidential palace in Khartoum and the airports in Khartoum and Merowe. The national army denied the presidential palace's takeover. Late on Saturday, Sudanese Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan issued a decree to dissolve the RSF.

Armed clashes continued into Sunday. The United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP) has announced the suspension of operations in Sudan after the death of three of its employees in violence and critical damage inflicted on one of its planes.

Later on Sunday, the Sudanese Armed Forces gave its consent to the UN's proposal to open humanitarian corridors for three hours starting 4 p.m. local time (14:00 GMT). The RSF released a statement agreeing to open humanitarian corridors for four hours, which is by one hour more than pledged by Sudan's army.

However, the fighting in the center of Khartoum only escalated during the humanitarian pause, a Sputnik correspondent reported.