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JUST IN: Air Raids and Clashes in Sudan Despite Eid Truce
Air raids and clashes have been reported in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, despite both sides declaring truces for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been battling each other since mid-April, causing a major humanitarian crisis and displacing nearly 2.8 million people.
The truces were announced on Wednesday, but residents said that air strikes and anti-aircraft fire hit several areas of Khartoum on the same day.
More so, the United Nations mission in Sudan has urged both sides to maintain the truces, but there is no indication that they will do so.
The RSF is a former rebel group that was integrated into the Sudanese military after the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir in 2019. However, it has been accused of human rights abuses, including the use of rape and looting.
Al-Jazeera also said that the conflict has triggered a resurgence of ethnically motivated killings in the western region of Darfur.
Residents and news reports said fighting had intensified in Omdurman on Wednesday afternoon.
The United Nations mission in Sudan on Wednesday stressed the need for both parties to maintain the ceasefire.
“A the same time, the RSF and allied militias remain accountable for violence against civilians, rape and looting in the areas they control, including in Khartoum, and ethnically targeted violence against civilians in Darfur”, the mission said in a statement.
“The SAF remains accountable for attacks in civilian populated areas, including aerial bombardments of residential areas in Khartoum.”
The SAF is the regular Sudanese military. It has been accused of carrying out aerial bombardments of civilian areas.
The clashes in Sudan are a major setback for efforts to bring peace to the country. The UN has called for a comprehensive ceasefire, but it is unclear whether either side is willing to agree to one.
The current situation in Sudan is volatile and unpredictable. It is possible that the clashes could escalate, leading to further violence and displacement.