The fighting in Sudan has continued despite an extended ceasefire agreed upon by the warring generals. The Sudanese military carried out airstrikes on Rapid Support Forces (RSF) troops, causing concern for civilians caught in the conflict. Over 500 people have died and several thousand are injured, with many trapped in Khartoum. Health facilities in the capital have been forced to close, leaving the wounded with nowhere to go.
The RSF troops are highly mobile and better suited to urban warfare, making it difficult for the Sudanese military to oust them from Khartoum. Civilians in Darfur were also caught in the crossfire as the RSF and Sudanese military clashed in two areas of the region, raising fears of civil war. Local militias are now arming themselves to join the fight, some of which are linked to the parties fighting in Khartoum.
Darfur’s Geneina or Al Junaynah is the worst impacted, with schools, hospitals, public buildings and camps for those internally displaced completely destroyed due to the fighting. The conflict is causing major concerns for civilians in Darfur as it was a sensitive region during the 2003 conflict. The Sudanese military and the RSF are accused of committing crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocidal rapes and acts of ethnic cleansing. Community leaders are trying to maintain peace amidst the violence.
Mohamed Osman of Human Rights Watch reported that local markets, a teaching hospital and gathering points have been completely destroyed in Darfur, with over 100 people dying in Geneina on Thursday alone and over 250 dying in recent violence.
