In Sudan, the warring parties agreed on Monday to extend the ceasefire by five days. Saudi Arabia and the USA, as mediators, announced that the ceasefire previously agreed until Monday evening had not been fully complied with, but had made it possible to deliver aid to around two million people. The extension should create space for further humanitarian aid and for talks about a longer-term ceasefire.
Fierce fighting broke out in the Sudanese capital Khartoum before the end of the week-long ceasefire on Monday. Local residents reported ongoing clashes between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Fighting continued from Sunday to Monday to the south and west of Omdurman, one of the three cities in the Khartoum metropolitan area. On the other side of the Nile, residents in the south of the capital also reported clashes late Sunday evening.
Both sides agreed on a week-long ceasefire the day before last, which was monitored by the United States and Saudi Arabia. On Sunday, both states accused both the army and the RSF militia of repeatedly violating the ceasefire. The parties to the conflict had thus prevented access for aid deliveries and the restoration of important services such as telecommunications.
The power struggle between the army and the RSF militia broke out on April 15. Hundreds of people have been killed since then. Almost 1.4 million people have been displaced from their homes, and several hundred thousand have fled to neighboring countries. Observers fear a destabilization of the entire region.
