KHARTOUM: Sudan’s capital was once again rattled by airstrikes on Monday as talks aimed at establishing a humanitarian truce yielded no breakthrough in Jeddah. A Saudi diplomat revealed that both sides involved in the conflict consider themselves “capable of winning the battle,” indicating a lack of willingness to pursue a permanent ceasefire.
The violent clashes erupted on April 15 between the troops of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The ongoing battles have resulted in hundreds of fatalities, thousands of injuries, and millions of people confined to their homes amid severe shortages of water, food, and essential supplies.
Representatives from the feuding generals have been engaged in talks facilitated by Saudi Arabia to establish a humanitarian truce, with the support of the United States.
However, these discussions have so far failed to make significant progress. A Saudi diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that a permanent ceasefire was not on the table and that each side believed in its capacity to emerge victorious from the conflict.
In Khartoum, a city of five million residents, terrified civilians continue to report ongoing combat, now entering its fourth week. Residents remain confined to their homes, enduring power outages and sweltering heat.
Fighting continue in Sudan, residents confined to homes
A resident of southern Khartoum described hearing airstrikes believed to originate from a market in central Khartoum, adding to the sense of fear and uncertainty.
The violence has prompted a mass exodus of both foreign nationals and Sudanese citizens, with evacuations taking place by air and sea, as well as arduous overland journeys to neighboring countries such as Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan.
Rawaa Hamad, who recently escaped from Port Sudan on an evacuation flight to Qatar, described the dire situation in Sudan, stating that there is currently no safety and a severe lack of basic necessities such as water, fuel, medicine, hospitals, and doctors.
The clashes have resulted in a death toll of over 750 people and left more than 5,000 injured, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The United Nations (UN) has warned of a widening humanitarian crisis, with 335,000 people displaced internally and 117,000 refugees created thus far.
Martin Griffiths, the top UN humanitarian official, has traveled to Jeddah, where “pre-negotiation talks” are being held. He has expressed a desire to join the negotiations between the warring factions, but his request has yet to be approved.
Saudi Arabia is pushing for a timetable for expanded talks to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities. The talks in Jeddah aim to establish an effective short-term halt to the fighting, facilitate aid delivery, and restore basic services.
Multiple truce agreements have been declared and quickly violated since mid-April, highlighting the instability in the poverty-stricken country.
Mediation efforts have intensified, with the African Union and East African regional bloc IGAD pushing for discussions mediated by South Sudan. The Arab League has called for an end to ongoing hostilities and the preservation of Sudan’s sovereignty without providing specific details.
The situation in Sudan remains precarious, with airstrikes continuing to strike the capital and the hope for a lasting truce and humanitarian relief diminishing.
The international community must increase its efforts to bring the rivals to the negotiating table and alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people caught in the crossfire.
