Guwahati: As many as 270 people were killed and 2,600 were injured in clashes that have broken out in Sudan, according to representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO), who cited the Sudanese ministry of health and emergency operations centre.
Conflict in Sudan was characterised by tension as opposing forces struggled for control of key locations in the capital and exchanged accusations of violating the ceasefire hours after it was supposed to go into effect under international mediation.
Just minutes after the scheduled 6 pm (16:00 GMT) start of the ceasefire on Tuesday, Gunshots continued to echo in the backdrop of the live feeds from various television news channels in the Khartoum capital region.
Both the army and the competing paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) issued statements in which they each accused the other of violating the truce. The army’s top leaders was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying that more measures will be taken to defend the capital and other places.
A spokesman for the UN Stephane Dujarric stated at a press conference in New York that there had been no reports of a ceasefire in the violence.
It should be noted that plans to transition into a civil democracy that had received international support, four years after the previous government was overthrown by widespread protests and two years after a military coup, were thwarted by the conflict that broke out four days ago between Sudan’s military leader and his deputy on the ruling council, according to Al Jazeera.
According to the UN, the fighting has caused a humanitarian disaster that includes the total breakdown of the health system. The organization’s Global Food Programme suspended operations after the deaths of three of its employees.
While speaking in Japan on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he had called the two rival leaders – army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and appealed for a ceasefire so as to “allow the Sudanese to be safely reunited with families” and to provide relief.
A spokesperson for the army, Colonel Khaled Al-Akida said, “We are keen to implement the truce and restore normal life in the city. But the RSF is a militia that does not respect anything.”
On the other hand, RSF said that it will uphold its part of the truce agreement. Musa Khaddam, the adviser to the commander of the RSF told Al Jazeera, “Our forces deployed in various areas of Khartoum are committed to the truce.”
It is important to note that Dagalo also known as Hemedti is Al-Burhan’s deputy on the ruling council which was constituted following the military takeover in 2021 and al Bashir’s resignation in 2019.
After decades of authoritarianism and military hegemony in Sudan, efforts for a transition to a civil government have been thwarted by their conflict. The country will become completely barren if the conflict is not stopped because it will certainly attract regional actors that have interests in the various groups of Sudan.