JEDDAH CEASEFIRE TALKS SUSPENDED BY SUDAN ARMY

Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan cheering with soldiers as he visits some of their positions in Khartoum.

Wed 31 May 2023:

Sudan’s army has withdrawn from talks over a truce and humanitarian access, according to Sudanese diplomatic sources, sparking worries of further conflict that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

The talks with the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began in early May in the Saudi port city of Jeddah and resulted in an announcement of pledges to safeguard civilians as well as two short-term ceasefire agreements that have been regularly breached.

The army and the RSF had agreed to extend a weeklong ceasefire deal by five days just before it was due to expire late on Monday.

A spokesman for the army, Brigadier Nabil Abdalla, also told the Associated Press news agency the decision was in response to the RSF’s alleged “repeated violations” of the humanitarian ceasefire, including their continued occupation of hospitals and other civilian infrastructure in the capital, Khartoum.

In a statement, the RSF accused the army of halting the talks in Jeddah so that it could undermine them and of violating the ceasefire by using airpower and heavy artillery to attack its positions.

Until late on Tuesday, intense clashes were reported in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, with residents reporting intensive fighting in all three of the adjoining cities that make up Sudan’s greater capital around the confluence of the Nile – Khartoum, Omdurman and Khartoum North.

Conflict has driven roughly 1.4 million people to evacuate their homes, with over 350,000 crossing into the neighboring countries.

More than six weeks into the conflict, the UN assessed that more than half of the population – 25 million people – required help and protection.

The capital has been ravaged by widespread looting and regular power and water outages. The majority of hospitals have been put out of service.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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