Sudan - A 24-hour cease-fire apparently agreed upon by Sudan's competing generals went into effect on Tuesday, but violence resumed in the capital, and it was unclear if it would last.
Residents reported hearing gunshots and explosions in many locations of Khartoum, notably near the military headquarters and the Republican Palace, the capital's center of authority. Few people had ventured out, they reported, but there were lineups outside certain bakeries.
At 6 p.m., Sudan's military and a paramilitary organization known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a cease-fire. On the fourth day of severe combat, local time. The RSF quickly accused the military of breaking the cease-fire, but the army made no statement.
The two sides had kept battling in Khartoum's streets throughout the day, showing the frailty of efforts to halt the escalating bloodshed that has raised the possibility of civil war in Africa's third biggest nation.
Millions of Sudanese have been sheltering in their homes in the capital and other cities, caught in the crossfire as competing troops bombarded residential neighborhoods with artillery and airstrikes and fought in gunfights outside. Residents have spoken about remains of the deceased left in the streets, inaccessible due to fighting, implying that the death toll is likely to be significantly higher than the 185 stated by the UN. since the violence started on Saturday.
In the last 24 hours, fighters in Khartoum attacked a U.S. Both the embassy convoy and the house of the EU envoy to Sudan were attacked, however neither resulted in injuries. The convoy of plainly identified U.S. The embassy cars were attacked on Monday, and preliminary indications link the attackers to the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organization fighting Sudan's military, according to U.S. According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He stated that everyone in the caravan was safe.
After decades of military control, Sudanese were attempting to reinvigorate the drive for a democratic, civilian administration. Blinken had increased his efforts for a cease-fire amid growing concern.
He met individually late Monday with the two opposing generals, armed forces head Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and RSF leader Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, urging a 24-hour cease-fire as a basis for a prolonged truce and return to dialogue.
After meeting with Blinken, Dagalo agreed a 24-hour humanitarian truce, he stated in a series of tweets Tuesday.
Later, satellite networks Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera quoted Lt. Gen. Shams El Din Kabbashi as stating the military will start observing the cease-fire at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) is local time. CNN Arabic reported Burhan as stating the military will participate in the day-long truce. Military officials, however, made no public notification of a cease-fire.
Shortly before the cease-fire began, a coalition of political parties and pro-democracy organizations announced it had received "positive positions" on the daylong humanitarian halt from military and RSF commanders. It claimed in a statement that talks were under on to "solidify that truce."
More military tanks and armored vehicles arrived in Khartoum early Tuesday, locals reported, en route to the military's headquarters and the Republican Palace. Fighter jets soared overhead during the night, and anti-aircraft fire illuminated the sky.
Clashes were still reported in the afternoon outside the military headquarters and near the nearby airport, both of which were important battlegrounds. Throughout the day, the two sides fought around major bases and vital government buildings in civilian neighborhoods.
Each side already has tens of thousands of troops stationed in and around Khartoum and Omdurman on the opposite bank of the Nile. Residents who have been stuck in their houses for days had hoped for a respite long enough to obtain supplies or evacuate to safer regions. The violence erupted unexpectedly at the start of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month.
