People in Khartoum have been told by the army to stay inside as it attacks RSF positions. Image source: REUTERS
The most recent ceasefire in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, which was intended to allow civilians a safe passage, has been shattered as fierce combat has broken out.
In an effort to drive away paramilitary rivals, the army launched airstrikes and heavy artillery operations on Sunday.
With food supplies running low and the ceasefire scheduled to end late on Sunday, millions of people are still stranded in the city.
Foreign nations are evacuating their citizens amidst the chaos.
Over 500 people have died as a result of the fighting between the regular army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 15, but the actual toll may be much higher.
Between army commander Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF chief Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, their power struggle in Sudan is becoming more intense.
The RSF’s integration into the army is one of the main areas of contention between the two leaders.
This has fueled more conflict and tension, which has added to the ongoing bloodshed in Khartoum.
Although neighboring nations, the US, UK, and UN made significant diplomatic efforts, the fragile ceasefire in the capital of Sudan’s was only temporarily extended on Thursday night.
The 72-hour extension did not hold, and by Saturday night, fierce combat had broken out once more in Khartoum.
The army declared that operations against RSF troops had been carried out north of the city center, and witnesses claimed that army drones had attacked an RSF position close to a significant oil refinery.
Residents’ frustration and dread are growing, and one said they woke up once more to the sound of fighter jets and anti-aircraft weaponry bursting throughout their area.
Tens of thousands of individuals are making an effort to leave Sudan. Image source: EPA-EFE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
Paul Adams, a diplomatic correspondent who is covering the situation from Nairobi, Kenya, observes that it will be challenging for the army to drive out the RSF from Khartoum.
Although the army has more firepower, the RSF is more mobile and adept at urban warfare, making it difficult for the army to remove them.
Nearly 1,900 people were flown out of Khartoum as part of the UK government’s evacuation operation, which was completed on Saturday.
A convoy led by the US has arrived in Port Sudan in preparation for the ship evacuation of further US nationals to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The convoy stated that in addition to the diplomats who were evacuated by air a week ago, hundreds of Americans had already fled.
Abdalla Hamdok, a former prime minister of Sudan, has issued a warning that the country’s current conflict could worsen and turn into a tragedy that kills hundreds of thousands of people and causes instability throughout the rest of the region.
Speaking in Nairobi, he underlined that the crisis in Sudan is a complex and developing battle that is almost like a war between two armies rather than just a conflict between an army and a minor insurgency.
Chaos has erupted as people attempt to board ships going for Saudi Arabia and Yemen in Port Sudan, where people are yearning to leave the country.
The state of affairs reflects the angst and anxiety that many Sudanese people are experiencing as the conflict worsens.
