Residents of Khartoum, Sudan's capital, reported air strikes and clashes between the warring factions despite a ceasefire deal brokered by Saudi Arabia and the US. The army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) signed the deal on Saturday in Jeddah, with a week-long ceasefire due to start on Monday evening.
This marks the first time the two sides have signed a truce agreement after negotiations, although analysts say it remains unclear whether army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan or RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, have the ability to enforce the ceasefire on the ground. Both have previously indicated they are seeking victory in the war, and neither of them travelled to Jeddah.
Since the conflict began on 15 April, 1.1 million people have fled their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis that threatens to destabilise the region. The ceasefire deal allows for the delivery of humanitarian aid and an internationally-supported monitoring mechanism. However, repeated ceasefire announcements since the conflict started have failed to stop the fighting, and the situation in Khartoum remains volatile.
Witnesses reported sporadic clashes and air strikes in central and southern Khartoum, as well as in Omdurman, one of three cities that make up the greater capital. Those still in Khartoum are struggling to survive amid mass looting, a collapse in health services, and dwindling supplies of food, fuel, power and water.
Safaa Ibrahim, a 35-year-old Khartoum resident, expressed her hope that the deal could bring an end to the conflict, saying "We're tired of this war. We've been chased away from our homes, and the family has scattered between towns in Sudan and Egypt. We want to return to normal life and safety. Al-Burhan and Hemedti have to respect people's desire for life."
The Jeddah talks focused on allowing in aid and restoring essential services. Mediators say further talks will be needed to seek the removal of forces from urban areas to broker a permanent peace deal with civilian involvement. A U.N. bulletin said 34 attacks on healthcare had been verified during the conflict, and that looting of humanitarian supplies and attacks on health facilities had continued since the two sides signed commitments to protecting aid supplies and civilian infrastructure in Jeddah on May 11.
Millions of civilians have been trapped as the army has used air strikes and shelling to target the RSF forces that embedded themselves in residential areas early in the fighting. Since the conflict began, unrest has flared in other parts of Sudan, especially the western region of Darfur. Some 705 people have been killed and at least 5,287 injured, according to the World Health Organization, though the true death toll is believed to be much higher.