Sudan's army and rival force battle, killing at least 27
Khartoum (Sudan) (AP): Sudan's military and a powerful paramilitary force battled fiercely Saturday in the capital and other areas, dealing a new blow to hopes for a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict. Doctors' groups reported at least 27 dead and 180 wounded, with the toll expected to rise.
The clashes capped months of heightened tensions between the military and its partner-turned-rival, the Rapid Support Forces group.
Those tensions had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by an October 2021 military coup.
Chaotic scenes unfolded in the capital of Khartoum, where fighters firing from truck-mounted machine guns battled in densely populated neighbourhoods.
"Fire and explosions are everywhere," said Amal Mohamed, a doctor in a public hospital in Omdurman. "We haven't seen such battles in Khartoum before," said resident Abdel-Hamid Mustafa.
By the end of the day, the military issued a statement ruling out out negotiations with the RSF, instead calling for the dismantling of what it called a "rebellious militia."
The head of the paramilitary group, in turn, branded the armed forces chief a "criminal." The tough language signalled that the conflict between the former allies, who jointly orchestrated the 2021 coup, was likely to continue.
Meanwhile, diplomatic pressure appeared to be mounting. Top diplomats, including the US Secretary of State, the UN secretary-general, the EU foreign policy chief, the head of the Arab League and the head of the African Union Commission urged the sides to stop fighting.
Arab states with stakes in Sudan Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also called for a cease-fire and for both parties to return to negotiations.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he consulted with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
"We agreed it was essential for the parties to immediately end hostilities without pre-condition," he said in a statement early on Sunday.
The fighting comes after months of escalating tensions between the commander of Sudan's miltitary, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the RSF, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
It also followed years of political unrest since the 2021 coup.
The recent tensions stem from disagreement over how the RSF, headed by Dagalo, should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee the process.
The merger is a key condition of Sudan's unsigned transition agreement with political groups.
The fighting erupted early on Saturday. The two sides traded blame over who started and also made rival claims over who controlled strategic installations around the capital.
By late Saturday, at least 27 people had been killed across Sudan and more than 180 wounded. The Sudan Doctor's Syndicate said at least six of the deaths were reported in the capital Khartoum and its sister city Omdurman and another eight near Nyala, the capital city of the South Darfur province in the southwest.
The syndicate said the casualty toll was likely higher, with many believed to be still uncounted in western Darfur region and the northern town of Merowe.
The military said in a statement late Saturday that its troops had seized all RSF bases in Omdurman, while residents reported heavy airstrikes on paramilitary positions in and around the capital that continued into the night.
After nightfall, sounds of gunfire and explosions were still heard in several parts of Khartoum, they said.
One of the flashpoints was Khartoum International Airport. There was no formal announcement that the airport was closed, but major airlines suspended their flights.
Saudi Arabia's national airline said one of its aircraft was involved in what it called "an accident." Video showed the plane on fire on the tarmac. Another plane also appeared to have caught fire.
Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 identified it as a Boeing 737 for SkyUp, a Kyiv, Ukraine-based airline. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The doctors' group said two civilians were killed at the airport.
Burhan, the armed forces chief, told the Qatar-based satellite news network Al Jazeera, that the day began with RSF troops "harassing" the military south of Khartoum, triggering the clashes. He said RSF fighters entered Khartoum airport and set fire to some planes.
He said all strategic facilities including the military's headquarters and the Republican palace, the seat of Sudan's presidency, are under his forces' control. He threatened to deploy more troops to Khartoum.
Dagalo accused Burhan of starting the battle by surrounding RSF troops. "This criminal, he forced this battle upon us," he said.
Dagalo told Al Jazeera that he believed the fighting would be over in "the next few days."
The RSF alleged that its forces controlled strategic locations in Khartoum and the northern city of Merowe some 350 kilometres (215 miles) northwest of the capital. The military dismissed the claims as "lies."
The clashes also took place in other areas across the country including the Northern province, the conflict-ravaged Darfur region, and the strategic coastal city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea, a military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
Pro-democracy activists have blamed Burhan and Dagalo for abuses against protesters across the county over the past four years, including the deadly break-up of a protest camp outside the military's headquarters in Khartoum in June 2019 that killed over 120 protesters.
Many groups have repeatedly called for holding them accountable. The RSF has long been accused of atrocities linked to the Darfur conflict.
Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, warned of a possible regional conflict if the fighting escalates. "Shooting must stop immediately," he said in a video appeal to both sides posted on his Twitter account.
Cameron Hudson, a senior associate with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank and a former US diplomat, said the fighting could become wider and prolonged, calling on the United States to form a coalition of regional countries to pressure the leaders of the military and RSF to de-escalate.
Volker Perthes, the UN envoy for Sudan, and the Saudi ambassador in Sudan, Ali Bin Hassan Jaffar, were in contact with Dagalo and Burhan to try to end the violence, said a UN official who asked for anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Chad announced that it is closing its land borders with Sudan.
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K'taka to convene inter-departmental meeting on food contamination
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Thursday said it would convene a meeting of all departments concerned and Bengaluru legislators to address concerns over rising food contamination, including chemicals and heavy metals found in vegetables, milk and poultry products.
Responding to a discussion in the Assembly, Forest and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said the government recognises the seriousness of pollution affecting food, air and water, particularly in the state capital Bengaluru.
"There is pollution in food, in air, in water and even in milk. In Bengaluru the problem is increasing day by day," Khandre said, adding that the government will call a meeting -- possibly next week , after consulting deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to discuss the issue with legislators and experts.
He said pollution in water bodies and inadequate sewage treatment infrastructure were major causes. Bengaluru, with a population of about 1.4 crore, requires around 1,800 MLD (million litres a day) of sewage treatment capacity but currently has about 1,200 MLD, he said, noting that delays in building treatment plants and land constraints have worsened the situation.
The minister also pointed to issues such as solid waste management, untreated sewage flowing into lakes, construction-related pollution and the need for stronger public awareness on environmental protection.
The debate began after BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan raised concerns about food contamination, citing reports of high levels of heavy metals and pesticide residues being found in commonly consumed vegetables.
The Malleswaram MLA told the House that residues of more than 200 pesticides and over 11 heavy metals had been detected in vegetables and leafy greens.
"Levels of heavy metals like lead, chromium, copper and iron are more than 20 times higher than permissible limits in some samples, posing a serious threat to public health," Narayan, a former deputy CM, said.
According to him, vegetables such as beans, beetroot, cabbage, capsicum, chilli and cucumber showed alarming contamination levels.
The findings were based on studies conducted under directions from the National Green Tribunal and the Central Pollution Control Board, with participation from the state pollution control authorities and agricultural experts.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said food safety had become a serious public health concern in Bengaluru, pointing to a rise in lifestyle and organ-related diseases.
"Today milk, eggs, poultry and vegetables have all become a problem. We need a monitoring centre to test and regulate food quality," the BJP leader said.
Ashoka alleged that vegetables arriving from surrounding districts were often contaminated and said steroid use in poultry farming and polluted water used for fodder cultivation could also affect food safety.
He urged the government to create a monitoring mechanism involving departments such as agriculture, horticulture, veterinary services, health and the pollution control board.
Supporting the demand, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge said the issue could not be handled by a single department.
"Agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and veterinary departments all have to work together because the food consumed in Bengaluru is produced in rural areas," Kharge said.
He noted that pollution of soil, air and water, pesticide residues, veterinary drugs and chemicals migrating from plastic food packaging could all contribute to contamination.
The government, he said, had already begun issuing orders to curb unsafe practices in food outlets, such as the use of artificial colouring in 'Kebabs' and plastic materials in cooking.
Kharge added that the state was working on a circular economy policy that includes sustainable waste management, recycling and grey-water treatment, while also expanding solid waste management initiatives in rural areas.
During the discussion, Ashwath Narayan also suggested adopting advanced sewage recycling technologies and improving tertiary treatment of wastewater to reduce contamination risks.
Khandre assured the House that the government would study the reports cited by legislators and hold consultations with relevant departments to formulate guidelines and preventive measures.
