Calay News
New clashes erupted in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, hours after a one-week ceasefire was announced and accepted by the army and paramilitary forces. American and Saudi mediators announced that the rival factions reached an agreement for a seven-day ceasefire “to take effect at 21:45 in Khartoum (19:45 GMT) on May 22.”
However, this ceasefire faces mistrust from the population due to numerous violations of previous truces since the clashes began five weeks ago. The confrontations between the army, led by General Abdel Fatah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, have resulted in the deaths of around a thousand people and the displacement of over a million since April 15.
The country’s infrastructure, as one of the poorest in the world, has paid a high price. Hospitals in Khartoum and Darfur are unable to operate, and there have been reports of aerial and artillery bombardments on healthcare centers. The five million inhabitants of the capital suffer from water and electricity shortages, and humanitarian groups are urging the establishment of corridors to deliver food, medicine, and fuel.
Residents of Khartoum have reported cases of looting and the occupation of homes by paramilitary forces. Despite the ceasefire agreement signed in Jeddah and supported by an international monitoring mechanism involving the US and Saudi Arabia, the population still hopes that this truce will be respected to access medical care and alleviate the humanitarian situation.
The internal power struggle between Burhan and Daglo has plunged Sudan into chaos. Malik Agar, Daglo’s replacement in the Sovereign Council, emphasized the need for a unified and professional army to restore stability. With more than half of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, the continuation of the conflict could result in an additional one million Sudanese seeking refuge in neighboring countries, raising concerns about a potential spillover effect.
