(Security): Sudan Governor Calls for Darfur People to Take up Arms for Defense

Minni Arko Minnawi, the governor of Darfur and a former rebel commander, reiterated his appeal for residents in the area to arm themselves in self-defence, saying that the "current situation necessitates that".

Similar statements by Minnawi in the past, sparked concerns that the conflict in the five states that make up Darfur may lead to a full-scale civil war due to rising ethnic tensions.

Sudanese economists estimate that the economic loss caused by the ongoing war over the past three months stands at U.S.$9 billion, while the value of property and goods plundered is estimated at another $40 billion.

The war has affected the industrial and banking sectors in particular, and the states where production has been most affected are Khartoum and South Darfur.

According to a tracking system established by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), fighting between the RSF and the army in the area of Kass had forced up to 5,000 families to flee, some of them from displaced persons' camps.

As a result of the fighting, nearly 200,000 people have been displaced over the past week. Overall, more than 2.6 million people have been internally displaced since the start of the conflict on April 15, 2023.

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