KHARTOUM-A US-brokered ceasefire between Sudan’s warring generals entered its second day Wednesday but remained fragile after witnesses reported fresh air strikes and paramilitaries claimed to have seized a major oil refinery and power plant.
“The pause was not fully upheld, with attacks on headquarters, attempts to gain ground, air strikes, and explosions in different areas of the capital,” UN Special Representative Volker Perthes told the Security Council Tuesday.
Perthes said he maintained contact with both generals: army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the heavily armed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). “There is yet no unequivocal sign that either is ready to seriously negotiate,” Perthes said. Security fears were compounded when the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday of a “huge biological risk” after fighters occupied a Khartoum laboratory holding samples of cholera, measles, polio and other infectious diseases. The fighting has killed hundreds of people and left some neighbourhoods of greater Khartoum in ruins, prompting thousands of foreigners and Sudanese to flee.
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As combat eased in the city of five million, foreign governments have been organising road convoys, aircraft and ships to get thousands of their nationals out. A boat carrying nearly 1,700 civilians from more than 50 countries arrived in Saudi Arabia early Wednesday, the kingdom’s foreign ministry said.
It added that it has evacuated 2,148 people, including more than 2,000 foreigners. Other evacuation efforts continued, with a British military transport plane landing in Cyprus. “The most difficult thing was the sounds of the bombing and the jet fighters flying above our home. That horrified the children,” said Safa Abu Taher, who landed with her family at a military airport in Jordan Tuesday night. Bewildered civilians were seen walking down one street in Khartoum North where almost all buildings were blasted.
out and smoke rose from scorched ruins, in an unverified video posted on social media. Witnesses in the same area later reported air strikes, and paramilitary forces firing anti-aircraft weapons.
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Late Tuesday, witnesses reported more air strikes in Khartoum North where they said fighter jets struck RSF vehicles.