On Saturday evening, the army and militia fought heavy battles near the city center.
(Photo: AP)
Khartoum Even a few hours before a ceasefire expires in Sudan, there is no end in sight to the conflict between the army and the paramilitary RSF militia. Both sides again accused each other on Sunday of breaking the ceasefire. This officially ends at midnight (CET). In the capital Khartoum, the situation was initially calm in the morning, a Reuters reporter reported. On Saturday evening, the army and militia fought heavy battles near the city center.
The army said on Sunday it had destroyed RSF convoys coming from the west of the country on their way to Khartoum. The RSF said the army had attacked its positions in several areas of Khartoum province with artillery and warplanes. Their fighters have entrenched themselves in several residential areas of the capital.
The regular armed forces had already announced on Saturday that a special police unit should now be deployed in Khartoum. The Central Reserve Police is a large and heavily armed force that has been deployed in fighting in the western Darfur region and in the Nuba Mountains to the south. In March 2022, the United Nations (UN) imposed sanctions on the police force for the violent crackdown on rallies protesting the 2021 military coup.
A peaceful solution to the conflict seems a long way off. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan categorically refuses direct talks with RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. Hemedti only wants to speak to Al-Burhan when the army stops its attacks. However, UN Special Envoy Volker Perthes has identified a glimmer of hope for an end to the fighting. The two parties to the conflict are now more open to negotiations, he said on Saturday.
Hundreds have been killed and thousands injured since the long-simmering power struggle escalated on April 15. Tens of thousands of people fled to neighboring countries. Internationally, fears are growing that Sudan could slide into civil war and destabilize the entire region.
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