No Holiday in Sudan: The Ceasefire is Symbolic and Bombardment Continues

Airstrikes and anti-aircraft fire shook parts of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, today, Wednesday, despite both warring military factions announcing a ceasefire in light of the Eid al-Adha holiday since mid-April. Residents and news reports indicated that fighting intensified in Omdurman on Wednesday afternoon. The Darfur Bar Association, an activist group monitoring the conflict, stated that the Rapid Support Forces conducted attacks in the Manawashi area of South Darfur twice in the past five days. The United Nations mission in Sudan urged both parties to adhere to the announced ceasefire. In a statement, the mission noted that the Rapid Support Forces and their allied militias have remained responsible for acts of violence, rape, and looting in the areas they control, as well as for ethnic-based violence in Darfur, while the army has been accountable for attacks and airstrikes on residential areas. The statement remarked, "Both parties must be reminded that the world is watching, and accountability for crimes committed during wartime will be pursued." The conflict erupted amid disputes over the authorities each side would retain under a internationally supported plan for transitioning to civilian rule. Numerous ceasefire agreements have failed, including several agreements brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States during talks in Jeddah, which were suspended last week.