Conflicts & War

Sudan warring sides urged to negotiate new truce after violence resumes

Khartoum/Riyadh, June 12 (EFE).- Sudan peace mediators, the United States and Saudi Arabia, have urged the warring military groups in the African country to return to the talks table for a new truce similar to the one that expired on Sunday.

The Sudanese army and the power paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had agreed to the 24-hour truce that brought a brief respite in the nearly two months of deadly power struggle.

Clashes and artillery fire erupted in parts of the capital early on Sunday, soon after the end of the ceasefire.

The resumption of violence has left Saudi Arabia and the US “disappointed,” a joint statement from negotiators said on Sunday night.

The statement said that during the 24-hour ceasefire, the warring sides showed “effective command and control over their forces.”

The reduced fighting throughout Sudan enabled the delivery of vital humanitarian assistance and the achievement of some confidence-building measures.

“There were violations and following the expiration of the short-term ceasefire, the two sides immediately resumed intense acts of violence that the facilitators find deeply disappointing and strongly condemn,” the joint statement said.

The peace facilitators said they stood “ready to reconvene formal talks in Jeddah, but only once the parties demonstrate their commitment to uphold their obligations under the declaration to protect the civilians of Sudan.”

“‏The kingdom and the United States urge the parties to end the fighting immediately,” the statement said.

“Besides engaging with the parties, facilitators continue to coordinate with regional and international partners to stop the fighting and minimize its impact on the region, and to intensify coordination with Sudanese civilian stakeholders, who must be the authors of their country’s future.”

Khartoum again turned out to be the hotbed of violence less than an hour after the end of the truce on Sunday.

The fighting continued on Monday in the north and south of the city and the neighboring city of Omdurman.

The two sides agreed on more than ten truces, some of up to seven days, since April 15, when the conflict began.

However, all the ceasefires were marred by violations and mutual accusations by the army and the paramilitary group, except the last one.

During previous ceasefires, the army, led by President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, traded accusations of targeting civilian facilities, including hospitals and residential buildings in the capital.

The fighting in Sudan has taken its toll on the healthcare system, leaving it on the brink of collapse, with at least 850 people dead and over 5,500 others injured.

According to the United Nations, around 1.3 million people have fled their homes amid the fighting. EFE

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