Sudan warring parties exchange blame of violating truce

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen Net
25 Apr 2023 17:57

The breach comes after the Sudanese army and the RSF announced their agreement to a 72-hour ceasefire based on Saudi-US mediation.

Smoke rises from burning aircraft inside Khartoum Airport during clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army in Khartoum on April 17, 2023 (Reuters)

The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) exchanged blame for violating a 72-hour truce to open up humanitarian corridors.

The RSF accused the Sudanese army of bombing its positions in the presidential palace in Khartoum.

Media sources said an army plane flew over the city of Omdurman, and the Rapid Support Forces confronted it.

Press release:

We reiterate our complete commitment to the 72-hour truce that aims to open up humanitarian corridors.

However, the Sudanese army has violated the ceasefire by continuing to attack Khartoum by planes, which is a clear breach of the ceasefire agreement. This… pic.twitter.com/kfgXFclw33
— Rapid Support Forces - قوات الدعم السريع (@RSFSudan) April 25, 2023

On the other hand, the Sudanese army accused the RSF of carrying out a number of violations and attempting to "occupy" sites inside and outside Khartoum.

This breach comes after the two sides announced their agreement to a 72-hour truce based on Saudi-US mediation.

After earlier attempts for a ceasefire in Sudan had failed, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Monday evening that Sudan's warring generals have agreed to a three-day ceasefire beginning Tuesday.

The army confirmed its commitment to the truce, on the condition that the RSF commit to stopping all hostilities.

Field sources confirmed to Al Mayadeen that intermittent clashes took place between the Sudanese army and the RSF, pointing to a hit-and-run situation between the two sides.

The sources said the RSF is the side violating the 72-hour truce due to its leadership's difficulty in communicating with its members.

Blinken had called on both sides to immediately and fully commit to the truce and said that the US would coordinate with regional and international partners and Sudanese parties to help establish a committee to supervise negotiations.

The truce, which did not hold for one day, coincided with the continuation of the evacuation of foreigners from Sudan, as countries intensified their efforts to evacuate their nationals or members of diplomatic missions by land, sea, and air.

The fighting in Khartoum prompted thousands to flee the Sudanese capital. According to a report published in The Washington Post, leaving Khartoum has become an obsession for its 5 million residents, in light of the power outages and shortages of supplies and water.

In the same context, officials in the Renk region of South Sudan said about 10,000 refugees entered the country from Sudan in the past few days, fleeing the fighting.

The United Nations has announced that at least 459 people have been killed and more than 3,700 have been injured as a result of the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

Likewise, the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan said at least 11 health facilities were attacked, pointing out that the prices of basic materials are rising sharply due to the shortage, while the Sudan Doctors Syndicate appealed to all medical personnel close to hospitals to expedite urgent assistance and extend a helping hand to the limited medical staff.

#Sudan is plunged into complete chaos one day after clashes broke out between the #Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). pic.twitter.com/C4zxUOWKEJ
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 16, 2023