Sudan’s military and a competing paramilitary group have decided to prolong a ceasefire by 72 hours. However, the sound of loud gunfire and explosions can still be heard in residential areas of the capital.
According to news agencies, air strikes, tanks, and artillery fire shook Khartoum on Friday, and a severe bombardment hit the neighboring city of Bahri, where thick smoke was seen rising from two regions.
Since April 15, the conflict between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people and the displacement of tens of thousands.
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Urban warfare has confined many residents of the capital, who have limited access to food, fuel, water, and electricity. The military has been directing airstrikes on RSF forces scattered throughout Khartoum’s neighborhoods using jets or drones.
On Friday, the RSF accused the military of violating a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia, which was announced on Thursday night, by attacking its bases in Omdurman, Khartoum’s sister city.
Turkey’s defense ministry reported that a Turkish evacuation plane was shot at while landing in Omdurman, but there were no casualties.
As of 15 April, the Sudanese health ministry reports that the fighting has resulted in the deaths of no less than 512 individuals and injuries to approximately 4,200 others.
Experts predict that the situation in Sudan may deteriorate rapidly, with a surge in violence in the upcoming days.
The World Food Programme cautions that the violence may cause millions more to suffer from hunger in a country where 15 million people, constituting one-third of the population, require assistance.
On Thursday, Abdou Dieng, the UN aid leader in Sudan, expressed his profound concern about the situation, particularly in terms of food supplies. He spoke from Port Sudan.
The conflict has placed the leader of the military, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in opposition to his former second-in-command, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the paramilitary RSF. The RSF originated from the militia that was unleashed by the Omar al-Bashir regime in Darfur.
After staging a coup in 2021, Burhan and Daglo took complete control, but their relationship has now soured, leading to a war that has plunged Sudan into further disarray.
The hostilities have included aerial bombardments and exchanges of artillery fire. The resulting violence has left certain areas of greater Khartoum in ruins. Despite numerous attempts at mediation by different nations, no ceasefire has been reached.
