According to the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the ceasefire in Sudan will be extended up to and including Wednesday. A spokesman for the RSF militia said on Sunday that it would apply for a further three days after the previous agreement expired on Monday night. The aim is to keep humanitarian corridors open so that people can get essentials and get to safe areas. The decision is a reaction to international and regional demands. The army confirmed the agreement with the RSF militia to extend the ceasefire by 72 hours.
However, the ceasefire remained fragile on Sunday. Army and RSF again accused each other of breaking the ceasefire. However, there were fewer fights. On Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had flown about eight tons of medical supplies to Sudan. The organization’s first international aid shipment since heavy fighting began two weeks ago will help treat thousands of people who have sustained gunshot wounds, the ICRC said.
The Red Cross relief supplies – including anesthetics, bandages and surgical material – were flown from Jordan to the port city of Port Sudan. Another machine with additional supplies and emergency services should follow soon, it said. Health workers in Sudan “have done the impossible: cared for the injured without water, electricity and basic medical supplies,” said ICRC Africa director Patrick Youssef.
In light of the “rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres is sending UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths to the region, a spokesman for the UN Secretary-General said. “The scale and speed of what is happening in Sudan is unprecedented.”
More than 500 people are said to have been killed – almost 5,000 injured
The ceasefire temporarily brought a certain normality back to parts of the embattled capital Khartoum over the weekend. Eyewitnesses reported that the police were patrolling the streets again – among other things to prevent looting. Only a few shots were heard. However, there were reports of sporadic fighting from some parts of the city.
In the north-east African country with around 46 million inhabitants, de facto President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has been fighting with the help of the armed forces since April 15 against his deputy Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the RSF. The two generals had taken over the leadership of Sudan through joint military coups. According to the Sudanese Medical Committee, many hospitals are no longer functional as a result of the fighting. In addition, there is a lack of medicines, medical goods and blood supplies. According to the authorities, the fighting has already killed more than 500 people and injured almost 5,000.
Last week, Germany initially declared its evacuation mission over. The British government announced another evacuation flight for Monday to bring compatriots from Port Sudan to safety in Great Britain. According to US government sources, a US Navy ship has also arrived in the city’s port to help evacuate Americans. Hundreds of US citizens would probably be evacuated with the transport ship.