Ceasefire Expires: Clashes Intensify in Parts of Sudan

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 5th The ceasefire agreement between the conflicting parties in Sudan expired on the 3rd. Residents of the capital Khartoum said on the 4th that the conflict in some parts of the local area has intensified. In northern Darfur, at least 40 people have been killed in the latest clashes.

According to Reuters, video footage showed black smoke rising over Khartoum on the 4th. Clashes also broke out in central and southern Khartoum and in the Bahri region.

　This is a street scene taken in Khartoum, Sudan on April 18. Published by Xinhua News Agency (photo by Mohammad Haider)

“In the south of Khartoum, we live in fear of heavy bombing, the sound of anti-aircraft guns and power outages,” Sarah Hassan, 34, a resident of Khartoum, told Reuters.

According to the Associated Press, earlier on the 4th, gunfire and gunshots were heard from parts of Omdurman, a city on the other side of the Nile that belongs to the capital circle, and Sudanese armed forces planes bombed the Rapid Support Force stronghold in the capital area.

Clashes have also erupted in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Witnesses said that the fierce clashes on the 2nd and 3rd caused chaos in the town of Kutum in North Darfur.

The Darfur Bar Association said at least 40 people were killed and dozens more wounded in the latest clashes. Residents of the town of Kutum said the local market, many houses and a refugee camp were destroyed.

　　Thick smoke rises from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, on April 15. Published by Xinhua News Agency (photo by Mohammad Haider)

The armed conflict in Sudan began on April 15. The conflict first broke out at the Rapid Support Force Command in the southern suburbs of Khartoum, and then quickly spread to the entire city of Khartoum and other states.

The conflicting parties in Sudan signed a seven-day ceasefire agreement in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on May 20, and the agreement came into effect on the evening of May 22. In the following week, the two sides still exchanged fire from time to time, but the scale was reduced.

The two sides agreed on the evening of May 29 to extend the validity of the agreement for 5 days. However, fierce clashes broke out again in southern Khartoum and Omdurman the next day.

The Sudanese Armed Forces spokesman’s office announced on May 31 that the armed forces had suspended participation in ceasefire negotiations with the Rapid Support Forces.

　　This is a picture of a closed shop in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 19. Published by Xinhua News Agency (photo by Mohammad Haider)

According to the statistics of the “Armed Conflict Locations and Events Database Project”, which focuses on global conflict activities, since the outbreak of the armed conflict in Sudan, more than 1,800 people have died in the war. According to UN data, about 1.2 million people in Sudan have been displaced, and more than 425,000 people have fled abroad. There are currently 25 million people in Sudan who are in urgent need of assistance and protection, or more than half of the population.

According to Reuters, the rainy season in Sudan has begun in recent days and will last until around October, increasing the risk of flooding and disease transmission. Precipitation may complicate relief efforts in Sudan. Aid workers warned that bodies had been dumped in the streets, while uncollected rubbish was also piling up.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said on the 4th that although the previous ceasefire talks had been suspended, negotiators from both sides of the conflict in Sudan remained in Jeddah. Saudi Arabia and the United States, as mediators, urged the two sides to resume negotiations to reach and implement a new ceasefire agreement and eventually a permanent cessation of hostilities. (Liu Xi)

Clashes intensify in parts of Sudan as ceasefire expires

Editor in charge: Xu Hairuo