KHARTOUM: Artillery and air strikes pounded Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Friday following Sudan’s warring parties failed to agree a truce despite committing to shelter civilians and permit humanitarian access.
A declaration of principles was inked in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) late on Thursday following nearly a week of dialogue between the two sides, but neither has yet issued statements over the matter.
Sudan Crisis
Since clashes erupted on April 15 the rival military generals have shown no sign, they are agreed to offer concessions to end the violence that has killed over hundreds and also threatens to field Sudan into a civil war.
“We were also expecting that the deal would calm the situation, but we woke up to airstrikes and fire,” said Mohamed Abdallah living in Khartoum.
Thursday’s agreement backed by Saudi Arabia and US includes commitments to permitting safe passage for medics, civilians, and humanitarian relief and to minimize harm to people and public facilities.
US authorities said on Thursday that the signing of the deal would be followed by talks on the details of securing humanitarian access, and a truce up to ten days to facilitate those efforts.
Mediators pushed the warring parties to ink the declaration of principles on civilian safety to decrease tensions because of continuing disagreement on a wider truce, one of those involved in the mediation process said. Earlier, cease-fire deals have been repeatedly violated in Sudan.
The deal committed the two sides to evacuating private and public property, including private houses, which local have accused particularly the RSF personnel of occupying. However, the RSF has rejected these claims, blaming the military and other armed groups.
