The International Committee of the Red Cross has condemned an attack on its convoy in western Khartoum, Sudan, on Sunday confirming that two persons were and seven others injured.
It did not give the identity of those killed but said three of its staff members were among the wounded.
The ICRC said its humanitarian convoy, consisting of three ICRC vehicles and three buses, was in the Al-Shajara neighbourhood to evacuate over a hundred civilians from Khartoum to Wad Madani when it ''came under attack.’’
The attack was ‘’appalling’’ and ‘’deliberate’’ as the vehicles were all ‘’clearly marked with the Red Cross emblem,’’ the humanitarian organisation said in a statement,
"This attack is unacceptable, and we are grief-stricken. I am shocked by the total disrespect for the Red Cross emblem, which must be respected and protected in accordance with international humanitarian law,’’ said Pierre Dorbes, the head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan.
Cancelled mission
The operation had been requested by and coordinated with the parties to the conflict (the Sudanese army and RSF fighters), who provided security guarantees, according to the ICRC.
The agency said the evacuation mission has been cancelled ‘’until a fresh security assessment can be made.’’
‘’Our mission… was to bring these civilians to safety. Instead, lives have been tragically lost. My heart goes out to the loved ones of the people killed, and we desperately hope those injured will make a full recovery," the statement added.
The ICRC did not mention those behind the attack. Sudan has been gripped by a deadly war since April 2023 between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces with more than 12,000 people killed and over 6 million displaced, according to the UN.
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