Chaos reigns for a second day in Sudan’s capital Khartoum as it is rocked by heavy fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

At least 15 Greeks remain trapped inside the metropolis without food and already basic necessities while they can’t even get near the windows as the bullets rain down. At the same time, two Greeks are hospitalized in the city’s hospitals after injuries they suffered yesterday when a rocket fell outside the church. The two wounded Greeks are waiting to be operated on however there are severe shortages of materials such as blades and the shops that supply the hospital are currently closed due to the regulatory situation.

The testimonies of the trapped Greeks as well as the Metropolitan of Nubia and all Sudan, Savvas in SKAI are shocking. “From yesterday until today they are hitting the Metropolis. Now a little while ago they knocked on both doors of the Metropolis, either they are stray bullets, or they are knocking indiscriminately. This is happening for the first time, it has never happened before that they hit a church, hit a place where there is a flag of another state. This is happening for the first time. Before you got on the phone, both doors of the Cathedral had been knocked on.” says the Metropolitan of Nubia speaking to SKAI about the dramatic situation which prevails emphasizing how “at any moment we can die.”

“We are 15 people. We’ve been stuck here since yesterday morning. The electricity has been cut off, the water has been cut off, everything has been cut off. The internet falters. And that will soon be cut. We have a few supplies and hope to find a solution by tomorrow. A solution to move people out of here” he adds.

“Yesterday morning, two Greeks came to the church to tell us to stop the church. We agreed with the priest to continue accompanying the service and luckily that happened because as they were leaving and going to their house, a rocket hit them. Both are injured. One in both lower limbs and is going to be operated on, the other has injuries in one leg, left leg, abdomen and eye” reported about the wounded Greeks, the Metropolitan of Nubia.

The testimonies of trapped Greeks are shocking

“We live in fear until now. After church yesterday 21:30 we couldn’t go home. We can’t get anything from the shops, everything is closed, the army is everywhere. And they shoot houses. If we want to open the door, some rocket might fall because that’s what happens. We have little food and we have closed the doors of the metropolis, no one goes out or looks through a window, nothing” Alexandra Kalimeri declares to SKAI, Greek woman stranded in Sudan.

“The situation is dangerous so far. The situation is every minute very dangerous because we hear gunshots and the gunshots are in the metropolis and they have also shot at a house of a Greek woman, the house of a Greek woman together with her husband” he adds.

The same time Greeks who have their relatives in Sudan are scared as they cannot communicate with them. “The phones don’t work, the phone rings and no one picks up, and of course they are too afraid to speak. There’s a problem there. I can’t contact anyone” points out Giorgos Evaggelinelis at SKAI.

“The situation right now in Sudan remains serious. From the first moment we are in uninterrupted contact with the area. We are following the case very seriously” states the Ilias Galanis, Head of the Public Diplomacy Office of the Cairo Embassy.

By order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, the crisis management unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is activated. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it points out that it is in communication with Metropolitan Savvas.

Fierce conflicts for control of power

At the same time, fierce fighting in Khartoum continues. At least 61 people have lost their lives and over 670 have been injured, according to the latest report. Today alone, five people were killed and 78 injured. Among the dead are three employees from the World Food Program (WFP). For this reason and due to the extraordinary situation prevailing in its announcement, the WFP states that it is temporarily “freezing” its activities in Sudan. This is a particularly important program for the country’s food supply.

At the same time, the two sides accuse each other of inciting the conflict that is already bringing the country to the brink of a new civil war.

“We the army did not start any battle. We kept our commitments and were surprised by the attack which included an attack on my residence.” declares Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah Al Burhan.

“This battle will pave the way for a peaceful solution. All these criminals will be brought to justice.” says for his part the General of the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Sudan’s military has approved a United Nations proposal to open a safe passage for humanitarian emergencies for three hours every day starting today at five o’clock Greece which ended earlier.

Armored vehicles, truck-mounted machine guns and warplanes have been carrying out attacks since morning in Khartoum, the neighboring city of Omdurman and other key points across the country. In Khartoum and Omdurman, fighting is taking place around the military headquarters, Khartoum International Airport and the headquarters of state television. A senior military official said RSF fighters clashed with troops at the military headquarters early Sunday and a fire broke out at a ground troop facility.

“The fighting has not stopped”, said prominent rights defender Tahani Abbas who lives near the military headquarters. “They are shooting at each other in the streets. It’s an all-out war in populated areas,” he pointed out.

As the fighting continues, both sides have made different claims about the extent of territory they control. The Sudanese military says it captured strategic bases belonging to the Rapid Support Force (RSF) in Port Sudan, Kassala, Kandaref, Demazin and Kosti. For its part, the RSF claims to control 90% of the capital Khartoum, with only the remaining 10% in the hands of the military.