KHARTOUM: Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman were rocked by heavy explosions and gunfire early Friday, despite the extension of a fragile truce between the country’s two top generals.
The power struggle between General Abdel-Fattah Burhan and General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo has killed hundreds and turned the capital into a war zone, leading to a humanitarian crisis.
A wide-ranging group of global mediators, including African and Arab nations, the United Nations, and the United States, have been intensifying their pressure on the rival generals to enter negotiations on resolving the crisis. However, they have only managed to achieve a series of fragile, temporary ceasefires that failed to stop clashes but created enough tension for tens of thousands of Sudane people to flee to safer areas.
Fierce clashes with explosions and gunfire continued on Friday in Khartoum’s upscale neighborhood of Kafouri, where the military earlier used warplanes to bomb its rivals, the Rapid Support Forces. Clashes also occurred around the military’s headquarters, the area close to the Khartoum international airport, and the Republican Palace. All these areas have been flashpoints since April 15, when the war between the military and the RSF erupted.
In the district of Karari in Omdurman, located across the Nile from Khartoum, a protest group reported hearing continuous explosions early on Friday. Meanwhile, Turkey stated that one of its evacuation planes was shot at outside Khartoum, though there were no casualties reported.
This occurred after both sides agreed to a 72-hour truce extension to allow foreign governments to completely evacuating their citizens. The Sudanese military accused the RSF of firing on the plane and shared images on its Facebook page, which purportedly showed marks of gunshots on the aircraft’s body and wing. However, the RSF denied responsibility and claimed that the military controls the area where the airbase is situated.
Despite two weeks of fighting, neither the military led by General Abdel-Fattah Burhan nor the RSF led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo has been able to achieve a definitive victory in their battle for control over Africa’s third-largest country.
Ceasefire in Sudan
Despite this, world powers have been unsuccessful in persuading them to cease firing, even for short periods. A group of East African nations has proposed a plan for the two sides to hold talks, with numerous mediators endorsing the initiative, including the African Union, the US, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the UN.
According to the Sudanese Health Ministry, at least 512 individuals, including both civilians and combatants, have been killed since April 15, with another 4,200 wounded. The healthcare system is in danger of collapsing, with numerous hospitals out of service, and several aid organizations have had to stop their operations and evacuate their staff.
The situation in Sudan’s western Darfur region remained volatile on Friday, a day after armed fighters rampaged through the city of Genena, battling each other, killing several people, and looting shops and homes.
Despite the pressure from the international community to end the violence and engage in talks, the situation in Sudan remains tense and unpredictable.
