What’s the latest on the Sudanese ceasefire, you ask? Well, it looks like it got off to a rocky start. As soon as the clock struck 6 a.m. on Friday, gunfire started ringing out in Khartoum and Bahri. Who knew that deploying troops on foot could make such a ruckus?
The RSF, or Rapid Support Forces, announced the ceasefire on Friday to give residents a chance to reconnect with their families during the Muslim holiday, Eid al-Fitr. They even threw in some humanitarian corridors, just for good measure. What a generous bunch!
Despite the RSF’s announcement, the army and its chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, remained tight-lipped on the matter. In fact, the General didn’t even mention the ceasefire in his pre-recorded speech posted on Facebook. Must have been an oversight, right?
If you were hoping for a peaceful morning in Khartoum, think again. Witnesses reported bombing, shelling, and even some good old-fashioned gunfire ringing out as the ceasefire began. Talk about a bang for your buck! Soldiers were even seen deploying on foot in some neighborhoods. Looks like the army is preparing for round two.
Bahri, on the other side of the River Nile, wasn’t doing much better. Residents there reported seeing large numbers of soldiers being deployed and hearing even more fighting between the RSF and the army. Looks like this ceasefire was about as effective as using a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound.
The conflict between the RSF and the army started last Saturday, putting a halt to Sudan’s hopes of transitioning to a civilian democracy. The RSF claimed that they were acting in self-defense, but apparently, so was everyone else. The fighting has killed at least 350 people and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
What began as a power struggle between two allied leaders of the ruling military junta, General Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has turned into a hot mess. Who knows what kind of regional competition or political drama will get pulled into this mess? Maybe Russia will join the fray, or perhaps the US will swoop in like the hero it thinks it is. Only time will tell.
Serious News: cnbc
