26/5/2023–|Last update: 5/26/202305:16 PM (Mecca time)
Today, Friday, the Sudanese Ministry of Defense called on retirees of the armed forces and “all those capable of carrying weapons” to go to the nearest military command to arm them in order to secure themselves and their families, in response to the abuses of the Rapid Support Forces against civilians and army retirees, and what it described as “humiliating the symbols of the state.”
This comes as a cautious calm prevails in the fighting fronts between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in the capital, Khartoum, after a day of clashes described as the most violent during the seven-day truce that the two sides reached with Saudi-American mediation on May 20.
Sudanese Defense Minister Yassin Ibrahim Yassin said – in a statement by the ministry – “We urge all retired armed forces officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers, and all those who are able to bear arms to go to the nearest military command to arm them in order to secure themselves, their sanctities and their neighbors, and protect their honor, and work according to the plans of these areas.”
He added that this appeal came after “the rebel forces persisted in humiliating the symbols of the state, including writers, journalists, judges, and doctors, and imprisoning, chasing and arresting retired regular forces.”
He also accused the Rapid Support Forces of using civilians as human shields, saying, “The rebellion has broken its strength and has taken refuge in hospitals and service facilities, and adopted citizens as human shields, and it (its forces) is now roaming between alleys and alleys in residential neighborhoods.”
Intermittent clashes
On the ground, our correspondent reported hearing sporadic gunfire in the southwest of Omdurman. And the Sudanese army’s Facebook account had published a video that it said was documenting direct confrontations and clashes with the Rapid Support Forces in Omdurman, yesterday, Thursday.
The video clips show soldiers from the Sudanese army in a clash with light weapons inside one of the main streets in the “Sail al-Muhandisin” area, Omdurman.
A wary calm prevails between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, after a day of “violent” clashes, despite the declaration of a 7-day truce following negotiations that took place last Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after fierce battles 5 weeks ago between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The states of South and West Darfur and North Kordofan, in the west of the country, also witnessed similar calm.
In the neighborhoods close to the fighting areas, the streets were empty of movement, while in other areas people rushed to take advantage of the truce to buy their needs; While some merchants tried to move their goods to safer places.
The US embassy in Khartoum had announced earlier today, Friday, in a joint statement, that both Saudi Arabia and the United States had noticed an improvement in respecting the short-term ceasefire agreement and humanitarian arrangements.
The statement indicated that despite recording the use of warplanes and the occurrence of sporadic gunfire in Khartoum, the situation has improved.
He added that violations of the ceasefire endangered civilians, impeded humanitarian assistance, prevented the restoration of basic services, and undermined the main objectives of the ceasefire.
The joint statement between America and Saudi Arabia warned the Sudanese parties against an additional breach of the ceasefire, calling for its respect.
He also called on the Sudanese parties to abide by their commitments to protect civilians and take the necessary steps to deliver humanitarian aid and restore basic services.
international concern
In turn, the United Nations Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa, Hanna Tetteh, expressed her concern about the developments in Sudan, and wrote on her Twitter account yesterday, Thursday, “The developments in Sudan are worrying. A ceasefire agreement has been signed … and yet the fighting continues.”
“This is unacceptable and it must stop,” she added. “People must be able to live their lives in peace.”
As US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said yesterday, “we are still witnessing violations of the ceasefire,” especially in Khartoum and Darfur.
“We are putting pressure on both sides regarding these violations,” he added, stressing that the United States reserves the right to impose sanctions “when necessary,” but he did not talk about a timetable or about the individuals who might be targeted by these sanctions.
It is noteworthy that the ongoing conflict in Sudan since April 15 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces has resulted in the deaths of hundreds, the displacement of more than a million people internally, and the flight of more than 300,000 people to neighboring countries.
According to ACLED data, the death toll since the outbreak of the conflict has reached 1,800 people, most of whom have fallen in Khartoum and El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur.
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2023-05-26 18:56:15
