Even as envoys from Sudan’s warring factions convened in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, violence in south Khartoum continued. Hundreds of people have been killed and many have fled their homes during the three-week conflict.
Fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has transformed sections of Sudan’s capital into war zones, wrecked an internationally endorsed plan to bring in civilian government after years of upheaval and revolutions, and triggered a humanitarian catastrophe. The plan launched by the United States and Saudi Arabia is the first real attempt to halt the conflict.
Saudi government television, Al Ekhbariya, said on Sunday that Saudi Arabia would offer Sudan $100 million in humanitarian aid.
Since mid-April, conflicts have killed hundreds of people, injured thousands more, disrupted aid delivery, and forced more than 100,000 refugees to flee to neighboring countries.
Manahil Salah, a 28-year-old laboratory chemist, claimed her family hid for three days in their residence near the city’s army headquarters before traveling to the Red Sea Coast during their evacuation from Port Sudan to the United Arab Emirates.
“I’m grateful to be alive,” she said. “But I’m sad because I left my mother and father in Sudan, and all of this is happening in my home country.”
Thousands of people are attempting to flee the country via Port Sudan on boats heading for Saudi Arabia, commercial flights through the country’s sole working airport, or evacuation aircraft.
“I’ve lived in Khartoum my entire life, and what’s going on there is really upsetting,” said Abdulkader, 75, who fled with his family and made it to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. It’s difficult to put into words how it feels to leave behind a lifetime of memories.
Even as mediators attempt to halt the violence, both sides have made it clear that they are only interested in discussing a humanitarian truce.
RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, acknowledged the presence of his group and expressed hope that the conversations will result in the safe passage of civilians.
According to reports on the ground, neither side was willing to make compromises to end the bloodshed, and Hemedti promised to either capture or kill army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The battle started on April 15, when a plan for a democratic transition endorsed by the international community collapsed.
Burhan, a professional army officer, and Hemedti, a former militia leader who came to prominence during the Darfur war, currently lead a governing council formed after the ouster of longstanding ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and a military coup in 2021.
Hemedti’s activities leading up to the battle, such as building links with a civilian coalition, suggested a political career. Burhan argues that he is to blame for the violence because of his own “ambitions.”
The danger to civilians has increased as a result of the extensive use of explosive ordnance throughout the conflict, according to the United Nations Mine Action Service. This is especially true for children, who may misinterpret the explosives as toys and play with them.
A country at a critical crossroads between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and the dangerous Sahel region has gained Western help in its transition to civilian rule.
Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser, was set to visit Saudi Arabia over the weekend to meet with Saudi authorities.
