Fighting rages in Sudan as ceasefire fails to take hold
There appeared to be little let up from four days of intense fighting in Sudan, with a ceasefire intended to take effect Tuesday evening shattered by the roar of warplanes, ripple of gunshots and tank fire.
At least 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 wounded since violence broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to the UN. Others have suggested the death toll could be considerably higher.
Khartoum, the Sudanese capital which has generally been unscathed from previous conflicts which raged in border regions like Darfur, has suffered heavy damage including to hospital buildings.
Gunfire was heard throughout Khartoum into the evening, according to several witnesses, as terrified residents spent the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan sheltering in place as tanks rolled through the streets and smoke from fighting hung in the air.
”As of now, the fighting in Sudan including Khartoum and various other locations, is continuing. No sign of real abatement of the fighting," the spokesman for United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres said.
The conflict stems from disagreements between Sudan’s two most powerful military commanders. On one side is army chief and de facto leader of Sudan, General Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, and on the other is Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of Sudan’s paramilitary RSF.
Each side accused the other of breaking the truce. The RSF said the Sudanese army had attacked civilians in the first hour of the truce, violating “the rights of Sudanese citizens to life and medical treatment”.
The Sudanese army said the RSF had not abided by the cease-fire, using it to attack areas close to the airport and the military headquarters.
Burhan and Daglo, who goes by Hemeti, entered into an alliance to oust Sudan’s transitional civilian government in an October 2021 coup, but have fallen out over plans to integrate the RSF into Sudan’s regular army.
To read the full story by Mohammed Amin in Khartoum, click here.
Fighting between the RSF and the Sudanese military has spread across the country, with the United Nations reporting incidents of sexual violence and attacks against aid workers. There have also been reports of looting.
Neither side appears to be backing down. According to witnesses, pickup trucks carrying anti-aircraft guns stationed in residential areas across Khartoum were being resupplied with ammunition on Tuesday morning.
Underscoring the chaos, Washington confirmed that one of its diplomatic convoys was fired upon on Monday, and the EU said its ambassador was attacked at home the same day.
The White House said Tuesday it had no plans for a government evacuation, but advised Americans in the country to remain sheltered in place.
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