Khartoum Fighting Continues Despite New Ceasefire

By Staff, Agencies

Fierce fighting is continuing in Khartoum, Sudan, as the army tries to push back the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces [RSF] from around the presidential palace and army headquarters, in spite of a supposed seven-day ceasefire in the conflict that erupted on April 15.

Heavy bombardments were also reported on Thursday in Khartoum’s sister cities of Omdurman and Khartoum North [Bahri].

Sudanese reports on Tuesday said 550 people had died and 4,926 people wounded so far in the conflict.

The sides appear to be battling for territory in the capital before any possible negotiation, though the two leaders – army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo – have shown little willingness to hold talks.

Earlier this week, Sudan’s warring factions agreed in principle to a seven-day ceasefire from Thursday, but more air raids and shooting in the Khartoum region disrupted that.

The credibility of the May 4-11 deal ceasefire deal between the two has been in doubt given the violations that undermined previous, shorter agreements.

The United Nations, meanwhile, pressed Sudan’s warring factions on Wednesday to guarantee safe passage of humanitarian aid after six trucks were looted.

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said he hoped to have face-to-face meetings with Sudan’s warring parties within two to three days to secure guarantees from them for aid convoys.

Thousands of UN workers were evacuated a week into the fighting, and some UN agencies paused their services. The World Food Program [WFP] suspended operations after three of its workers were killed in fighting in southern Sudan, but the agency has since said it will resume its work.

It remains unclear how UN agencies can operate with limited staff and supplies amid the chaos.