Intense clashes and artillery exchanges erupted throughout Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, on Sunday, shortly after the conclusion of a 24-hour ceasefire. The pause in hostilities had provided a brief respite from eight weeks of ongoing fighting between rival military factions.
Eyewitnesses reported that the clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were some of the most severe in weeks. The confrontations included ground battles in the densely populated neighborhood of Haj Youssef in Bahri, one of the three interconnected cities—Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri—that collectively form the capital near the convergence of the River Nile.
As the ceasefire expired at 6 a.m. (0400 GMT), witnesses saw the resumption of clashes and artillery fire in the northern part of Omdurman. They also reported skirmishes in southern and central Khartoum, as well as in Shambat along the Nile in Bahri, extending up to the strategic Halfiya bridge, which connects to Omdurman.
The conflict between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted on April 15, stemming from tensions related to an internationally supported plan for a transition to civilian rule. This protracted violence has displaced over 1.9 million people, leading to a dire humanitarian crisis that poses a significant threat to the entire region’s stability.
