South Front
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Heavy clashes continue in Sudan despite the announcement of a ceasefire by the army and the paramilitary Rapid Response Force (RSF).
The army first announced on April 21 evening that it had agreed to a three-day truce to enable people to celebrate the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. The RSF said earlier in the day it had agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire, also to mark Eid.
“The armed forces hope that the rebels will abide by all the requirements of the truce and stop any military moves that would obstruct it,” an army statement said.
Despite the ceasefire announcement, heavy clashes between army troops and RSF fighters were reported on April 22 in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, the nearby cities of Omdurman and Bahri as well as in different parts of the country’s western region.
The United States, United Kingdom, France and China all began evacuating their citizens from Sudan on the same day, according to the army.
The fighting broke out in Sudan on April 15 as a result of a disagreement between the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the country’s military ruler, and RSF Commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, over how the paramilitary force will be integrated into the army and what authority should oversee the process during transition to civilian-led rule in the country.
Several previous ceasefires between the army and RSF repeatedly broke down, with both sides trading blame for violating the terms.
As of 21 April, at least 413 people have been killed and 3,551 have been wounded in the clashes, according to the World Health Organization.
The power struggle between al-Burhan and Dagalo will open the door for several foreign players, first and foremost the U.S., to expand their influence in Sudan. It could also take the country to a multi-year civil war. Despite these risks, the two sides appear to be determined to continue the fight.
