Fighting in Sudan continues after ceasefire Will there be free movement of patients? Confusion in EU polls

After a 24-hour ceasefire was largely observed, fighting broke out again in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. Eyewitnesses and various media reported this on Sunday. Accordingly, shortly after the end of the ceasefire at 06:00 local time, the Sudanese army is reported to have launched renewed airstrikes against hostile paramilitary RSF positions in the outskirts of Khartoum, Bahri and Omdurman. Artillery and anti-aircraft missiles could also be heard.

As before, the ceasefire was brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia. The aim was to make humanitarian care possible. According to the media and eyewitnesses, it actually remained quiet in Khartoum. The situation elsewhere in the country, especially in the Darfur region, which has been partly affected by intense violence, is difficult to assess. After previous ceasefires failed repeatedly, mediators warned that a breach could mean the end of negotiations with the parties in Saudi Jeddah. It was initially unclear when talks would resume.

In Sudan, former deputy ruler Mohammed Hamdan Daglo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a quasi-army spun out of militias and numbering tens of thousands of fighters, have been battling forces led by de facto head of state Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since mid- April. The two generals seized power together in 2019 and 2021, but later fell apart. The transition to democracy demanded by the civilian population in the country in Northeast Africa, which has a population of some 46 million, has not materialised.

Aid organization Doctors Without Borders reported on Saturday that their employees had been forced to make a propaganda film in favor of the RSF. Your convoy was stopped leaving a warehouse. “We have been asked by the RSF to make a statement on camera regarding the RSF’s handling of this matter and we were required to do so so that our convoy could continue its journey.”

The RSF released a video on Friday showing a man in uniform with a group of MSF staff. “Have you been a victim of illegal activity, blackmail, threats or violence by RSF personnel?” the man asks, according to the captions. One employee replied, among other things, that humanitarian laws are respected and that people can work without the intervention of any party whatsoever.

MSF and other aid workers have repeatedly complained about looting and attacks since the outbreak of the conflict. “The MSF teams responded to the questions and reaffirmed MSF’s humanitarian principles: we are not affiliated with any party to the conflict and our sole purpose is to help conflict-affected populations in need of medical assistance.” said Doctors Without Borders. “Visit humanitarian aid should not be exploited.”

The World Health Organization counted 48 confirmed attacks on healthcare workers at the beginning of June. At least 780 people were killed and 5,800 injured at the beginning of June, according to figures from the Ministry of Health, according to the UN emergency agency OCHA. About 1.6 million people are on the run. (saw/sda/dpa)