Clashes renew in Sudan as 24-hour cease-fire expires

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Clashes resumed on Sunday between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group in the capital Khartoum as a one-day cease-fire ended.

Clashes with heavy and light weapons were reported in the vicinity of the Halfaya Bridge, which connects the city of Omdurman to Bahri, north of Khartoum, according to witnesses. Military aircraft were seen flying over the area.

The violence erupted after a one-day cease-fire brokered by US and Saudi mediators between the two warring rivals ended early Sunday.

Nearly 1,000 people have been killed and thousands injured in clashes between the army and the RSF since April 15, according to medics.

Previous cease-fire deals between the two conflicting parties were repeatedly violated, with the two sides trading accusations for the violations.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the army and the RSF over the paramilitary group’s integration into the armed forces, a key condition of Sudan's transition agreement with political groups.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a "coup."

Sudan's transitional period, which started in August 2019 after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir, had been scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi