Here is the situation on Thursday, April 20, 2023:
Fighting
- A new attempt at a ceasefire in fierce fighting between Sudanese troops and paramilitary forces in Khartoum failed.
- The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries said they would “fully commit to a complete ceasefire” from 16:00 GMT for 24 hours, as did the army.
- Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan said just minutes after the proposed ceasefire, fighting was audible in the capital.
- “We were able to hear heavy artillery fire around the vicinity of the general command of the army, as well as around the vicinity of the presidential palace and the central parts of the capital.”
- Early on Thursday, smoke and fires that rose from the city in previous days had abated, as live TV feeds over Khartoum showed, before fighting erupted again.
- Gunfire was heard in Bahri, and residents reported violent clashes west of Omdurman where they said the army had moved to block the arrival of RSF reinforcements.
- The RSF issued a statement about the breakdown in the truce, saying it came under attack in Omdurman and inflicted losses on the army in response, including shooting down two helicopters.
- Some of the most intense fighting has been focused around the compound housing the army headquarters and residence of Sudan’s military ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Civilians and casualties
- International powers, struggling to evacuate citizens after the airport and several districts housing embassies were caught up in the violence, have been pushing repeatedly for a truce, to little effect.
- Dozens of hospitals have been knocked out of service because of fierce fighting amid low medical supplies.
- Dozens of Sudanese students trapped for days by fighting near the University of Khartoum escaped with the help of Sudan’s army
- More people have been leaving the capital with most able to pass, but some have been stopped at checkpoints, according to residents and social media posts.
- Nearly 300 people have been killed in the past five days, according to the UN health agency.
- The Doctors’ Syndicate, which monitors casualties, said at least 174 civilians have been killed and hundreds wounded.
- On Twitter, under Arabic hashtags such as #Khartoum_Needs, residents of each district have been mobilising support and solidarity. On WhatsApp, hundreds of users joined a group to pool resources.
Diplomacy
- The Sudanese army said 177 Egyptian soldiers who the RSF captured in the northern city of Merowe were evacuated back to Egypt.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken to the rival generals as part of diplomatic efforts to end the fighting.
