Well, folks, it’s been quite the wacky day in Sudan. Despite both sides yapping away about supporting a cease-fire, there were still explosions and gunshots going off left and right in Khartoum. It was a real hootenanny leading up to the deadline of 6pm, with the military factions flinging accusations at each other like monkeys at the zoo.
Just minutes after the cease-fire was supposed to start, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) tweeted that they were under “sporadic attack”. They also had the gall to inform the international community that those darned coup forces didn’t agree to anything. I mean, get a load of these guys.
Over 185 civilians have died in this fiasco. According to a United Nations report, there have been attacks on homes, looting of humanitarian agencies, and assaults on their staff. The UN had to pack up shop for a little while, and humanitarian agencies said they experienced all sorts of brutal behavior, including sexual violence.
Even the US got roped into this mess. A diplomatic convoy came under fire, but everyone was okay. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, called the attack “reckless” and “unacceptable,” while probably wondering why he ever left home in the first place.
After the call, the RSF was all, “Okay, okay, we’ll agree to a 24-hour cease-fire to protect civilians and those who have been hurt.” Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Shams El Din Kabbashi and CNN Arabic quoted someone named Burhan as saying that the army was totally going along with a cease-fire. But who even knows what’s going on at this point? It’s like trying to follow an argument in a cartoon.
The RSF continued to accuse the military of airstrikes, while the army countered that the paramilitary group just wants to “cover up the crushing defeat it will meet” and is trying to get military aid from neighboring countries. It’s like watching two kids argue over a toy while arguing directly into each other’s faces.
Blood has been spilled, friends. Hospitals have been shut down, medical staff are being attacked, and ambulances can’t do their jobs. Heck, there have even been armed assaults. And according to an internal U.N. security report, there have been some serious crimes happening, like the abduction of Nigerian staff members and the sexual assault of women.
The European Union’s top diplomat tweeted that the EU ambassador was “assaulted in his own residency.” Doctors Without Borders had their premises looted, but they’re still trying to make things work where they can.
People are scared, man. One woman talked about hiding in a basement with her child while airstrikes went on outside, saying that the noises were the worst part. Another person said they’ve gotten into a routine of waking up in the basement and then playing upstairs. It’s like they’re living in a real-life version of a bad dream.
So that’s the state of things in Sudan, folks. A real barrel of laughs all around.
Serious News: washingtonpost
