Sudanese Capital Under Fire Amid Ongoing Talks Between Conflict Parties

Parts of the Sudanese capital were subjected to artillery and airstrikes today, Sunday, with no indications that either of the warring military factions is willing to retreat from its position in a conflict that has claimed the lives of hundreds, despite ongoing ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia. The fighting has been concentrated since it began a month ago between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum and the cities of Bahri and Omdurman, located across the White and Blue Nile branches, in addition to the Darfur region in the west of the country. Witnesses reported that artillery shells fell on Bahri and that Omdurman was hit by airstrikes early on Sunday. The United Nations noted today that the conflict has resulted in at least 676 deaths and 5,576 injuries, although the actual toll may be much higher amid numerous reports of many people going missing and bodies being left unburied. The fighting has led to 200,000 people fleeing to neighboring countries and 700,000 others being displaced within Sudan, creating a humanitarian catastrophe and threatening to draw in external powers into the conflict, destabilizing the region. The residents who remain in Khartoum are struggling to survive amid the collapse of health services, disruptions in electricity and water supplies, and dwindling food stocks.