A total of 270 people have been killed and a further 2,600 have been left injured in clashes that erupted in Sudan, as per officials of World Health Organization (WHO) citing the ministry of health and emergency operations centre of Sudan, reported CNN.
A tense atmosphere prevailed amid clashes in Sudan as the opposing forces fought for strategic positions in the city and accused each other of breaking the ceasefire hours after the internationally mediated ceasefire was scheduled to come into force.
Gunshots continued to echo in the backdrop of the live feeds from various television news channels in the Khartoum capital region on Tuesday just minutes after the scheduled 6 pm (16:00 GMT) start of the ceasefire.
The rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army both released statements in which they accused the other of breaking the ceasefire. Al Jazeera reported quoting army’s top leadership that actions will continue to secure the capital and other areas.
Meanwhile, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news briefing in New York that they had not received any indications that there was a halt in the fighting.
It may be noted that the conflict between Sudan’s military leader and his deputy on the ruling council broke out four days ago which thwarted plans to transition into a civil democracy which had garnered international support, four years after the previous government was overthrown by widespread protests and two years after a military coup, Al Jazeera reported.
The conflict has brought upon a humanitarian crisis including the complete collapse of the health system, stated the UN. The Global Food Programme of the organization halted operations when three of its staffers were killed.
While speaking in Japan on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he had called the two rival leaders – army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo – and appealed for a ceasefire so as to “allow the Sudanese to be safely reunited with families” and to provide relief.
Al Jazeera reported that both sides were in support of the agreed-upon ceasefire.
A spokesperson for the army, Colonel Khaled Al-Akida said, “We are keen to implement the truce and restore normal life in the city. But the RSF is a militia that does not respect anything.”
On the other hand, RSF said that it will uphold its part of the truce agreement. Musa Khaddam, the adviser to the commander of the RSF told Al Jazeera, “Our forces deployed in various areas of Khartoum are committed to the truce.”
It is worth mentioning that Al-Burhan is the leader of a ruling council that was established after the military takeover in 2021 and al Bashir’s departure in 2019, while Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, is his deputy on the ruling council.
The plans for a transition to a civil administration after decades of authoritarianism and military dominance in Sudan have been derailed by their conflict. If the violence is not contained, it is likely to bring in regional actors harbouring interests in the various factions from Sudan, which will then render the country barren.
