First modification:
The African country and its capital remain immersed in a confrontation between the two top military commanders: the regular army of General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahmane al-Burhan confronts the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) loyal to General Mohammed Hamdan Dogolo, known as Hemedti . Between these two generals, Khartoum has become a huge battlefield. Truces and ceasefires never last more than a few minutes.
With Eliott Brachet, RFI Special Envoy to Khartoum
On the fifth day of fighting, the exchanges of shots and detonations have not stopped. Throughout the night, the city trembled. At 6 pm on Tuesday, the agreed time for the start of the truce, clashes were still taking place in the four corners of the capital.
Both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Neither Al-Burhan nor Hemedti seem to respect the commitments made with the international chancelleries, which continue to call for a de-escalation. This Wednesday morning there were important attacks in the center of the city, around the presidential palace and the headquarters of the armed forces. A huge column of smoke obscures Khartoum.
A situation out of control
Civilians have not been able to sleep. The objective of the truce that has not occurred was to allow them to evacuate the war zones, stock up on food, transport the wounded to hospitals or bury their dead with dignity, while the corpses accumulate in the streets of the city.
This morning, small groups of people are heading south from Khartoum with a few things hastily packed in plastic bags. Contrary to what the army has claimed in recent days, it is rather General Hemedti’s loyal Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that occupy and control large areas of the capital. In residential areas, militants have carried out arrests, looting and abuses against civilians. The situation seems to be out of control.
One in three inhabitants suffers from hunger
The conflict continues despite calls by the G7, UN and US foreign ministers to “immediately stop the violence”.
According to the UN, the bullets and rockets left more than 185 people since Saturday, with some 1,800 injured.
Both the United Nations and several NGOs decided to suspend aid in the country, where hunger affects more than one in three inhabitants.
The conflict between Hemedti and General Burhane, simmering for weeks, exploded over disagreement over how to integrate the RSF paramilitaries into the regular troops.
