GENEVA, May 3. /TASS/. The International Committee of the Red Cross said its two staffers were killed and three wounded in Sudan's South Darfur.
"It is with great sadness that the International Committee of the Red Cross confirms that two of its drivers were killed by gunmen on Thursday in South Darfur, Sudan. Three other ICRC staff were injured," the group said in a statement.
The incident occurred when a ICRC team was on its way from the settlement Layba where it assessed the humanitarian situation of communities affected by armed violence in the region.
"We are in deep mourning for our dear colleagues. We extend our sincere condolences to their families, and we hope for a speedy recovery for our injured co-workers," said Pierre Dorbes, the head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan.
The ICRC said its priority is to support those most affected by this tragedy, in particular the victims' families, relatives and colleagues.
The organization called for the immediate protection of all civilians, including humanitarian workers and medical personnel.
"They must never be directly attacked," the statement said.
The situation in Sudan escalated in April 2023 amid disagreements between the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the ruling Sovereignty Council, and the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The main points of contention between the two military organizations are related to the timeline and methods of forming unified armed forces of Sudan, as well as who should become the commander-in-chief of the army: a career military officer, which is an option supported by al-Burhan, or an elected civilian president, as Dagalo insists. On April 15, armed clashes between the rival military factions erupted near a military base in Merowe and in the capital, Khartoum. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, more than 4,000 people have been killed since the start of the hostilities.