Residents of Khartoum reported intense fighting on Saturday, with fighters roaming the streets and few signs that the warring parties in Sudan were abiding by an agreement to protect civilians in advance of the restart of truce negotiations in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Since the warring army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary organisation agreed to a “declaration of principles” on Thursday, fighting has rocked Geneina and surrounding areas in the Darfur region, as well as Khartoum.
Compared to the previous two days, this morning was far worse. The tanks and RSF’s increased street patrolling were audible, according to 28-year-old Hani Ahmed.
The battle, which started a month ago, has claimed hundreds of lives, uprooted 700,000 people inside the nation, forced over 200,000 into bordering states, and runs the risk of enlisting outside powers and destabilising the area.
Prior cease-fires have been broken by fighting, and neither side has demonstrated any sign of willingness to make concessions. The army has not yet provided a response to the RSF’s pledge to uphold Thursday’s accord.
The army is able to use air power, but the RSF is entrenched in residential areas around the capital, making it appear like neither side would be able to win quickly.
In terms of direct interaction, we only see the RSF; however, we only see the army from above. They’re down there,” Ahmed added.
For residents, the fighting has unleashed a nightmare of bombing, sporadic gunfire, home invasions, and looting, all while the energy supply is unstable, there is a scarcity of food and water, and there is little prospect of receiving medical attention for wounds.
According to Duaa Tariq, a 30-year-old art curator in Khartoum, “Our neighbourhood is now entirely under RSF control. They loot and harass people and wander around, always armed, taking shelter wherever they want.”
We can’t really trust either side because they don’t have control over their soldiers on the ground, Tariq said, adding that she was sceptical that the talks in Jeddah would result in a truce.
Since the two sides agreed to the declaration of principles to protect civilians and provide humanitarian access, fighting has continued unabatedly. Residents claim RSF fighters are still occupying buildings, a claim the force has rejected, and they claim civilian targets are attacked by government airstrikes.
Hashim Mohamed, 35, claimed that for the first time in a week, he had found bread in a nearby store. Bread is accessible, he continued, but the lengthier walk results in more close calls with danger.
Some of the deadliest fighting has occurred in Darfur, where a war that has been raging since 2003 has killed 300,000 people and forced 2.5 million people from their homes.
In Geneina, where fighting erupted on Friday after a two-week respite, at least 77 people were reportedly slain, according to the Darfur Bar Association, a local rights group.
“Armed groups on motorcycles and RSF vehicles attacked on Friday and are continuing to commit acts of killing, looting, arson, and terror,” the group claimed.
The RSF has denied leaving its positions in Darfur and blamed the fighting there on the army and Omar al-Bashir’s supporters after they were overthrown in 2019. They said these groups had armed civilians.
