16″ April “2023”
Fierce fighting has continued in Sudan’s capital despite an hours-long pause to address humanitarian needs including the evacuation of wounded, on the second day of battles that left dozens killed.
Clashes that started on Saturday between the armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) sparked an international outcry and regional concern, including border closures by neighbours Egypt and Chad
Sudan’s military and a powerful paramilitary force have engaged in fierce fighting in the capital and elsewhere in country, dealing a new blow to hopes for a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict.
Fighting continued after nightfall on Sunday, as Sudanese hunkered down in their homes with fears of a prolonged conflict that could plunge the country into deeper chaos, dashing long-held hopes for a transition to civilian-led democracy.
After Saturday’s killing of three World Food Programme workers, the agency said it was suspending operations in the impoverished country.
Violence erupted early on Saturday following weeks of power struggles between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, who heads the heavily-armed RSF. Each accused the other of starting the fight.
56 civilians killed’
The pro-democracy Central Committee of Sudan Doctors reported 56 civilians killed as well as “tens of deaths” among security forces, and around 600 wounded.
Late Sunday afternoon the army said they had “agreed to a United Nations proposal to open safe passage for humanitarian cases”, including the evacuation of wounded, for three hours which ended at 17:00 GMT.
RSF confirmed the measure and both sides maintained their right to “respond in the event of transgressions” from the other side.
Despite the pause, heavy gunfire could still be heard in central Khartoum near the airport, and dense black smoke billowed from the surrounding area.
Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, said the three-hour humanitarian ceasefire announced by the warring sides has come to an end.
“The duration for the short period of ceasefire has already passed. It was from around four o’clock local time to seven. Within that three-hour period, we were able to hear the sounds of heavy artillery in various parts of the capital, Khartoum. We were able to see smoke rising from the southern and northern parts of the city,” Morgan said
Is Sudan’s unity in danger?
The latest violence began on Saturday after weeks of tension between the army and the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces.
After years of coups, protests and political instability, the people of Sudan were getting ready for a new government.
But now, those plans are at risk as the threat of an all-out civil war looms over the country.
IGAD plans to send presidents to reconcile Sudan’s warring sides
The region bloc, IGAD, plans to send presidents of Kenya, South Sudan and Djibouti to reconcile the sides fighting in Sudan, Kenyan President William Ruto’s office said on Twitter. .
“IGAD resolved to send Presidents Kiir, President Ruto and President Guelleh at the earliest possible time to reconcile the conflicting groups,” Ruto’s office said.
Sounds of artillery fire despite three-hour humanitarian pause announcement
Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan, reporting from Sudan’s capital Khartoum, says the three-hour humanitarian ceasefire announced by the warring sides has come to an end.
“The duration for the short period of ceasefire has already passed. It was from around four o’clock local time to seven. Within that three-hour period, we were able to hear the sounds of heavy artillery in various parts of the capital, Khartoum. We were able to see smoke rising from the southern and northern parts of the city,” Morgan said.
“The whole purpose of the three-hour ceasefire period was to allow those who were trapped around the vicinity of the presidential palace, around the vicinity of the general command of the army to be able to escape – as well as those trapped in areas near the RSF bases which are facing air strikes by the Sudanese army fighter jets.”
“Many people we spoke to say they were not able to leave their homes,” Morgan said. “Many people have told us they could not access hospitals despite the need for medical attention. They say because of the uncertainty of what is going on they did not want to risk stepping out onto the streets and facing the unknown
African Uinion rejects external interference in Sudan
The African Union’s Peace and Security Council says it strongly rejects any external interference that could complicate the situation in Sudan.
The Pan-African body’s Peace and Security Council held an emergency meeting on Sunday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa to discuss the ongoing unrest in Sudan.
The AU called on “the countries of the region and other stakeholders to support ongoing efforts to return the country to the transition process towards a constitutional order.”
Fighting between the army and a paramilitary force rages for a second day as the international community calls for a ceasefire.
Egyptian soldiers captured in Sudan to be returned, says RSF
Egypt has confirmed that a group of its soldiers has been captured in Sudan as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has said it would cooperate in returning them.
The RSF, now embroiled in deadly armed conflict with the country’s army for a second day, on Saturday afternoon released a video showing Egyptian troops that it said had “surrendered” themselves in Merowe, located between the Sudanese capital Khartoum and the border with Egypt.
In the video, a group of men wearing Egyptian army fatigues can be seen seated on the ground and speaking with members of the RSF. Another clip shows RSF members standing beside a military aircraft bearing Egyptian Air Force signs, celebrating the plane’s alleged seizure in Merowe.
The Egyptian Armed Forces released a statement late on Saturday saying it is working to bring its troops back, claiming they were there to “conduct joint training with their Sudanese counterparts”.
Egyptian and Sudanese militaries have conducted several joint exercises before, including naval drills announced earlier this month at Port Sudan on the Red Sea amid rising tensions with Ethiopia.
Cairo and Khartoum have been increasingly deepening their military ties, with their armies signing a military cooperation agreement in March 2021 that covered training and border security.
What has happened so far?
“We can hear shots being fired. We can hear heavy artillery being fired,” Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reported from Khartoum after the fighting broke out on Saturday. “It’s not clear who is in control of the [Presidential] Palace, and there are battles over the state television.”
“Fighter jets were witnessed in several districts, seeming to target RSF locations using air strikes,” she said. “We can see plumes of smoke where those strikes have been carried out.”
Saturday saw fighting in the capital and other parts of the country as the army struck a base belonging to the RSF in the city of Omdurman, outside Khartoum, witnesses told Reuters.
The sound of heavy fire was audible across the capital with reports of fighters from both sides engaging their weapons from armoured vehicles and machine guns mounted on pick-up trucks in densely populated areas.
What has the international response been?
The international community has strongly condemned the violence.
The United States, China, Russia, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, United Nations, European Union and African Union have all called for an end to the hostilities.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the situation in Sudan was “fragile” but insisted there was still an opportunity to complete a transition to a civilian-led government
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the outbreak of fighting and called for calm.
“The Secretary-General calls on the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces to immediately cease hostilities, restore calm and initiate a dialogue to resolve the current crisis,” said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres’s spokesman.