The United States and Saudi Arabia have jointly appealed to the conflicting factions in Sudan to extend a fragile ceasefire, as the ongoing weeks of fighting have reached a stalemate in the country’s capital and other areas. In a combined statement issued on Sunday, Washington and Riyadh called for the current truce, set to end at 9:45 pm [19:45 GMT] on Monday, to be prolonged. The statement acknowledged the imperfections of the ceasefire but emphasized that an extension would facilitate the much-needed delivery of humanitarian aid to the Sudanese people.
The statement urged Sudan’s military government and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to continue their negotiations towards reaching an agreement on extending the ceasefire. The conflict erupted in mid-April following a coup led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the military chief, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF leader, which ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s Western-backed government.
The ongoing fighting has resulted in hundreds of casualties, with thousands wounded and the country teetering on the brink of collapse. Approximately 1.4 million people have been displaced from their homes, seeking refuge in safer areas within Sudan or neighboring countries, according to the UN migration agency.
Last week, the army and RSF agreed to a weeklong ceasefire brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia. However, like previous ceasefires, this truce failed to halt the fighting in Khartoum, the capital, and other parts of the country. Residents reported sporadic renewed clashes on Sunday in Omdurman, an adjacent city to Khartoum, where military aircraft were observed flying overhead. Similar fighting was also observed in al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province.
In a separate statement, the US and Saudi Arabia accused both the military and RSF of violating the ceasefire, which significantly hindered the delivery of humanitarian aid and the restoration of essential services. The statement highlighted instances of air attacks by the military, including an incident on Saturday in Khartoum that reportedly resulted in the death of at least two people. The RSF was also accused of occupying civilian homes, looting private businesses and public buildings, exacerbating the situation.
The joint statement expressed concern that both parties involved in the conflict were posturing for further escalation, despite claiming their commitment to de-escalation to facilitate humanitarian assistance and essential repairs. In response to the deteriorating situation, Mini Minawi, the governor of the war-torn Darfur region, called on the people to take up arms to protect their property after witnessing the burning of markets and the looting of health and aid facilities.
The most intense fighting has primarily occurred in Khartoum and Darfur, near the border with Chad. As tensions continue to rise and clashes persist, tens of thousands of Sudanese citizens have sought refuge across the border in Chad. Concerns are mounting over the increasing militarization of those who remain in Sudan. Heavy and sustained clashes were reported on Monday in various parts of the Sudanese capital shortly before the shaky ceasefire was due to expire, providing only limited respite from the six-week-long conflict and minimal humanitarian access.
Image Credit: Marwan Ali/AP
