The Sudanese paramilitary force, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has accused the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of violating a ceasefire agreement between the warring parties.
The factions of Sudan’s military agreed to renew a three-day ceasefire for another 72 hours, shortly before it was due to expire.
The ceasefire had been expected to end at midnight local time on Thursday.
The ceasefire was to enable civilians access to much-needed necessities and to facilitate their evacuation.
However, in a statement released this Saturday, the RSF said the SAF had violated the agreement in its quest to organize a violent coup. Reads the statement:
Despite pledging to uphold a temporary humanitarian ceasefire, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) continues to bombard residential areas in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum from the air and with heavy artillery.
SAF General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is persisting with his attempt to organize a violent coup with the aid of extremists from the Muslim Brotherhood linked to former Sudanese dictator and military officer Omar al-Bashir.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) remains firmly committed to the ceasefire. We are working to open safe corridors for Sudanese citizens, residents, and non-residents, to afford them access to much-needed necessities, and to facilitate their evacuation.
We again underscore the RSF’s commitment to democracy, human rights, and the establishment of a civilian government. The RSF will continue to work as a stabilizing force in Sudan, countering any efforts by the Muslim Brotherhood to usurp power.
We urge citizens to ignore the numerous baseless rumors and disinformation propagated by former members of the al-Bashir regime, which are aimed at instilling fear in the population.
Foreign nations have been urging their citizens to leave the country as soon as possible.
Evacuations are continuing, but many foreigners are still stuck in Sudan.
Local civilians are continuing to flee the capital, Khartoum where there are problems with supplies of food, water, and fuel.
According to BBC News, at least 512 people have been killed in the fighting and almost 4 200 injured, although the real number of deaths could be much higher.
Fighting in Sudan broke out on 15 April as the result of a bitter power struggle between the regular army (SAF) and RSF.
Gen al-Burhan and RSF chief Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, disagree about the country’s proposed move to civilian rule.
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