Smoke rises over buildings in Khartoum, April 15, 2023, as clashes are reported in the city.
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Residents said sporadic fighting between Sudan’s warring factions could be heard in the capital Khartoum on Sunday, after a week-long ceasefire brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States raised hopes of a de-escalation in the five-week conflict.
The ceasefire, signed after talks between the military and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Saudi city of Jeddah, will go into effect on Monday night under an internationally-backed monitoring mechanism. It also allows humanitarian aid to be provided.
Since the clashes began on April 15, repeated ceasefire announcements have failed to stop the fighting, but the Jeddah deal marks the first signed post-negotiation truce between the two sides.
Analysts said it was unclear whether Army Chief of Staff Abdul Fattah al-Burhan or RSF Commander Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, would be able to enforce a ceasefire on the ground. Both have previously said they were seeking victory in the war, but neither traveled to Jeddah.
The war has caused 1.1 million people to flee their homes and relocate within Sudan or neighboring countries, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and threatening to destabilize the region.
It has left those still in Khartoum struggling to survive amid widespread looting, collapse of health services and reduced supplies of food, fuel, electricity and water. Witnesses reported sounds of clashes in central and southern Khartoum on Sunday.
Safaa Ibrahim, a 35-year-old Khartoum resident, told Reuters by phone that she hoped the deal would end the conflict.
“We are tired of this war. We were driven from our homes and our families were scattered between towns in Sudan and Egypt,” she said. “We want a return to normal life and security. Al-Burhan and Hemedti must respect people’s desire for life.”
“Waiting for a truce”
War broke out in Khartoum as generals planned to seize full power in a 2021 coup to sign off on an electoral transition to a civilian government.
Burhan and Hemeti have held the top posts in Sudan’s ruling council since former leader Omar al-Bashir was toppled in a popular uprising in 2019.
The Jeddah talks focused on allowing aid to be delivered and restoring essential services. The mediator said further negotiations would be needed to seek the withdrawal of troops from urban areas in order to broker a permanent peace agreement involving civilians.
“The people of Khartoum are waiting for a truce and the opening of humanitarian corridors,” said Mohammad Hamid, an activist in the capital. “Health is deteriorating day by day.”
Army senior general Yassir al-Atta told Sudanese state television that the army has been trying to remove RSF from homes, schools and hospitals.
Millions of civilians were trapped as the army used airstrikes and artillery to target RSF troops who had ambushed residential areas early in the fighting.
Asked about calls by some tribal leaders for civilians to arm themselves, Atta said there was no need for that at the moment, but residents who were attacked in their homes should be able to act in self-defense. “It’s a natural right for them to arm themselves to protect themselves,” he said.
The rest of Sudan, particularly western Darfur, has been in turmoil since the conflict erupted.
Some 705 people were killed and at least 5,287 were injured, according to the World Health Organization, although the actual death toll is believed to be much higher.