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22-06-2023
KHARTOUM: Fighting resumed in different parts of Khartoum on Wednesday as a 72-hour ceasefire which reportedly saw several violations between Sudan’s warring military factions expired, Reuters reported citing witnesses.
A new truce was agreed upon on Saturday, in a series that failed to stop the violence which saw civilians’ deaths amid air strikes pummeling multiple parts of the Sudanese capital.
Shortly before the truce ended at 6am local time, clashes were reported in all three of the cities that make up the wider capital around the confluence of the Nile: Khartoum, Bahri and Omdurman.
It has been over two months since the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been battling each other, wreaking destruction on the capital, triggering widespread violence in the western region of Darfur, and causing more than 2.5 million people to flee their homes.
Witnesses said army aircraft could be heard early on Wednesday over Omdurman, as could anti-aircraft fire from the RSF, artillery fire from a base in north Omdurman, and ground fighting in southern Khartoum.
The ceasefire was the latest of several truce deals brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States at talks in Jeddah.
As with previous ceasefires, there were reports of violations by both sides.
Late on Tuesday, both factions blamed the other for a large fire at the intelligence headquarters, which is housed in a defence compound in central Khartoum that has been fought over since the fighting erupted on April 15.
Saudi Arabia and the US said that if the warring factions failed to observe the ceasefire they would consider adjourning the Jeddah talks, which critics have questioned as ineffective.
The conflict in Sudan erupted amid disputes over internationally backed plans for a transition away from military rule following a coup in 2021 and four years after long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir was ousted during a popular uprising. (Int’l News Desk)
