After a cease-fire agreement ran out, fighting erupted in Khartoum, and Sudan’s unrest-ridden Darfur area saw a fresh outbreak of violence that left scores dead in a state of “complete lawlessness.”
After the ceasefire between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) expired earlier in the day, black smoke began to billow over the city on Sunday.
Sara Hassan, a 34-year-old resident of southern Khartoum, stated over the phone, “We are living in fear of violent bombardment, the sound of anti-aircraft guns, and power cuts.” We truly are in hell.
Fighting in the capital has resulted in extensive destruction and theft, a breakdown in the health system, power and water outages, and decreasing food supplies.
After the army “launched an audacious airborne assault upon our forces’ positions” in northern Khartoum, the RSF asserted that it shot down a fighter plane.
According to a military source, a Chinese-made jet’s “technical malfunction” caused it to crash close to the Wadi Seidna facility, north of Khartoum.
Witnesses reported seeing an airplane with flames shooting out of it as it moved from the capital’s south to its north. Others mentioned airstrikes on RSF positions in the city’s east, with reports of possible civilian fatalities.
Other locations where combat was reportedly occuring were Bahri to the north across the Blue Nile and central and southern Khartoum.
The Saudi Arabia-brokered ceasefire, which allowed for some humanitarian access and somewhat subdued the street fights, was regularly broken like previous ceasefires. On Friday, negotiations to extend the ceasefire fell apart.
More than 1.2 million people have been forced to evacuate their homes as a result of the murderous power struggle that broke out in Sudan on April 15; an additional 400 000 individuals have fled into neighbouring states.
Additionally, it raises the possibility of regional instability.
‘Completely out of control’
Beyond the capital, deadly combat also erupted in Sudan’s far western Darfur area, which is already coping with protracted turmoil and enormous humanitarian issues.
Kutum, one of North Darfur’s major cities and a major commercial hub, was reportedly in disorder as a result of severe fighting on Friday and Saturday, according to witnesses.
According to the Darfur Bar Association, which monitors rights in the area, at least 40 people were killed and scores more were injured, including residents of the Kassab camp where individuals who had been displaced by prior conflict are housed.
The army refuted accusations that the RSF, which arose from militias in Darfur and has its power base there, had seized control of Kutum.
Mini Minawi, the governor of Darfur and a former rebel leader who is now sympathetic to the army, posted on Twitter that armed groups were “looting” the region and that Darfur was a “disaster zone” in need of assistance.
It was “complete lawlessness” in his state, according to West Darfur’s governor, Khamis Abakar, who made the statement on Sunday.
He said:
Everything is under the hands of armed guys, and the situation is out of control.
Even though negotiations to extend the truce were put on hold last week, Saudi Arabia and the United States stated they were still in daily contact with delegates from the army and the RSF.
“Those discussions are focused on facilitating humanitarian assistance and reaching agreement on near-term steps the parties must take before the Jeddah talks resume,” the two countries said in a statement.
Hemedti, the alias of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, claimed in a Facebook post that he had discussed Jeddah mediation efforts over the phone with the Saudi foreign minister.
Although Hemedti was seen in video footage early in the fighting with his forces in central Khartoum, it is unknown where he is now.
