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Fierce clashes erupted last weekend in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum between the country’s military and paramilitary armed forces. Air force jets have been patrolling the skies and armored vehicles rolling on residential streets.
At least 83 people have been killed and 1,126 others wounded across the African country since April 13, with the heaviest concentration of fighting now taking place in Khartoum City, Sudan’s capital, the World Health Organization said on Sunday.
Here is the first-hand experience of the fierce fighting from a Chinese medical team at the Omdurman Friendship Hospital and a Chinese student in Sudan.
‘Sound of gunfire heard from time to time’
“We are at Omdurman Friendship Hospital in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. We arrived in Khartoum, Sudan on May 14, 2022, and have been working here for 11 months,” said Xing Zhijing, chief of the Chinese medical team to Sudan.
“We’ve been hearing the sound of gunfire from time to time. On Saturday we saw tanks, heavy artillery, fighter jets and helicopters. The fighting is still very intense. We are 20 kilometers away from the most intense areas of the conflict. But so far, we have not had any injured people at our hospital,” Xing said.
‘Tanks and armored vehicles once spotted’
Xing said some time ago, or rather before April 15, tanks and armored vehicles have appeared along some important crossings. “It already felt serious then. But then vehicles were suddenly withdrawn the day before yesterday and the situation was thought to be safe until clashes broke out yesterday morning.”
“The country is now in the midst of Ramadan. If the situation escalates further, the conflict will certainly affect life. Our medical teams are told to stay indoors. Now all roads are blocked,” said An Peng, a member of Xing’s medical team.
‘Schools completely closed’
Luo Bin, a Chinese student at the Khartoum International Language School told CGTN that Saturday’s fighting was the worst in four years.
“Schools have been completely closed and students are afraid to go out. There is a military camp behind our school, and the two Sudanese forces were having some internal disputes with each other, and this military camp was exchanging fire with the other. Every now and then there was the sound of gunfire and the roar of bombers flying overhead,” said Luo.
When asked if there had been any previous clashes like this during his stay in Sudan, Luo said there was nothing as extensive and serious as this time. “In the past, most of them started with people protesting against some of the actions of the local government. Some of them were even small-scale clashes, but they only lasted a few hours, and then locals would sort things out. Something like this has never occurred before,” he said.
‘Chinese students all safe so far’
Luo, who was also president of the local Chinese Student Union, said Chinese students remained safe so far.
“All I know so far are six (Chinese) students who were in the line of fire have been evacuated, while the rest were outside the line of fire. Most of the students have already told their families about the situation, saying that we are in a bit of a mess, and the internet may be cut off, but it is not clear when. Everyone told their families they were safe,” Luo told CGTN.
‘Water, electricity, internet services remain normal’
Both Xing and Luo said their lives have not been greatly affected so far, since water, electricity and internet services in their residential region were operating as usual.
“We are living on what we have stored at home. If we want to buy supplies, we have to risk danger,” Luo said.
(Cover: Smoke rises as clashes continue between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, April 16, 2023. /CFP)
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Copyright © 2023 CGTN. 京ICP备16065310号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466