The European Union’s ambassador to Sudan was assaulted “in his own residency” Monday, according to the bloc’s top diplomat Josep Borrell, amid a violent power struggle between rival military factions.
“This constitues a gross violation of the Vienna Convention [sic]. Security of diplomatic premises and staff is a primary responsibility of Sudanese authorities and an obligation under international law,” Borrell said on Twitter. Borrell did not name the ambassador, but a spokesperson for the European External Action Service confirmed it is Aidan O’Hara, from Ireland.
The spokesperson said the ambassador “is OK” and “we are in touch with him,” adding that “he is continuing his duties.”
“Civilians in #Sudan urgently need a ceasefire in order to be safe and allow space for mediation. The EU is working to persuade each side to consider humanitarian pause and to encourage dialogue,” Borrell said in Twitter.
The violence erupted over the weekend between army units loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s transitional governing Sovereign Council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The two sides were once allied after a 2021 coup and the 2019 ousting of leader Omar Bashir, but disagreement escalated over integrating the RSF into the armed forces under an internationally backed transition plan, in addition to other factors.
More than 180 people have been killed and 1,800 injured since Saturday, according to U.N. envoy Volker Perthes.
Lili Bayer contributed reporting.
