Sudan’s Army And Rival Paramilitary Forces Announce New Ceasefire

After an earlier attempt at a truce was unsuccessful, the Sudanese military and its paramilitary adversary have both stated that they will abide by a 24-hour ceasefire, beginning on Wednesday night.

Residents claimed that intermittent gunshots and explosions could still be heard, demonstrating the precariousness of the efforts. It was unclear whether the new attempt would succeed after a comparable pause on Tuesday night collapsed nearly immediately.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary for the White House, urged both the Sudanese military and its paramilitary adversary to uphold the cease-fire, “renounce violence and return to negotiations” on Wednesday.

The two leading generals of the nation, whose forces have been transforming the nation’s capital into a battleground for the past five days, “are accountable for assuring the protection of citizens and non-combatants.”

Residents of various Khartoum neighborhoods told The Associated Press that they saw hundreds of people, including women and children, fleeing their homes throughout the day on Wednesday while carrying baggage, some walking out on foot and others cramming into cars.

With food and other supplies running low and no sight of relief, it appeared many residents had decided to take the chance of escaping the mayhem despite desperately trying to hold out.

Atiya Abdalla Atiya, secretary of the Doctors’ Syndicate, who is still in the capital, claimed that Khartoum has turned into a ghost town.

The UN health agency said that about 300 people had died in the previous five days, but the actual number is probably higher because many bodies had been left in the streets where they were inaccessible due to fights.

Residents claimed that since early on Wednesday, the military has been bombing Rapid Support Forces locations with airstrikes while gunfights have raged outside the main military headquarters in central Khartoum, which the RSF has repeatedly attempted to seize.

According to satellite images given by Planet Labs PBC, a damaged airplane was on fire at the nearby airport, another battle line, where palls of black smoke were rising.