Sudan clashes resurge as ceasefire ends

Fighting resumed in Khartoum and Omdurman on Wednesday morning, following the end of Sudan’s most recent 72-hour ceasefire between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Warplanes and the firing of heavy weapons were witnessed in Omdurman’s neighbourhoods of El Fitihab and El Mansoura, as well as at the Engineers Corps base.

Battles between the warring sides reportedly also extended to the vicinity of Omdurman’s highly contested headquarters of the Sudanese radio and television corporation.

Eyewitnesses reported heavy shelling in southern Khartoum. According to reports, the SAF shelled the surrounding area of the Yarmouk military complex in El Shajara in south-west Khartoum, which was reportedly controlled by the RSF.

The witnesses added that plumes of smoke could be seen rising from other parts of Khartoum and from Khartoum North (Khartoum Bahri).

In a situational report by the army General Command yesterday, the SAF states that the Central Reserve Police/Forces* in Khartoum and Omdurman carried out a successful counterattack following the end of the ceasefire. The SAF statement alleges that ‘the rebels’, referring to the RSF, reportedly used the 72-hour truce period to “commit atrocities on civilians”.

The statement refers to various victories against the RSF, stating that they “carried out special operations” which “killed and injured a number of them”, as well as destroying and capturing fighter vehicles, and shooting down a fighter drone.

* On March 21 last year, the USA sanctioned the Central Reserve Police (CRP, popularly known as Abu Teira or Tira) for serious human rights abuses. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) listed the excessively violent repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests in Sudan by the CRP forces as the main reason.