Clashes broke out between the opposing parties in Sudan last night in Khartoum and continued into this morning, Friday, after negotiations aimed at solidifying a ceasefire and alleviating the humanitarian crisis collapsed, prompting the United States to impose sanctions. Residents of Khartoum and the nearby city of Omdurman reported that "the army resumed airstrikes and used more artillery as clashes continued, with no signs of the Rapid Support Forces withdrawing from the streets and homes they occupied."
The ongoing war, which has lasted for seven weeks, has devastated areas in central Khartoum, threatening to destabilize the wider region, leading to the displacement of 1.2 million people within Sudan and the flight of 400,000 others to neighboring countries. A senior U.S. official stated that "Washington has imposed sanctions on companies linked to the army and Rapid Support Forces and threatened further actions "if both parties continue to destroy their country." The army was surprised by the decision of the United States and Saudi Arabia to suspend negotiations after it presented proposals to implement the agreement.
Sudan’s ambassador in Washington, Mohammed Abdullah Idris, declared, "The Sudanese government... the Sudanese army signed the ceasefire in Jeddah and is fully committed to what it signed. If there are sanctions, they should be imposed on the party that does not adhere to the terms agreed upon," referring to the Rapid Support Forces. Both sides are exchanging accusations of violating the ceasefire.
