Heavy Fighting Persists in Sudan Despite New Ceasefire

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Despite a new 24-hour ceasefire declared by Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Wednesday, shelling continued past the deadline, and fighting reportedly continued in different parts of the country.

The conflict between the army and paramilitaries, which erupted on Saturday, has killed around 200 people and has forced thousands of residents to flee Sudan’s capital, Khartoum.

The violence followed a dispute between army chief Abdel Fattah al Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the paramilitary RSF, over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army, a key condition for a final deal aimed at resuming Sudan’s democratic transition.

It was gathered that the earlier truce agreement failed to allow for the evacuation of civilians caught up in the sudden conflict.

Heavy fighting was also reported near the presidential palace in Khartoum, and in a neighborhood in the west of the city where homes belonging to the head of the RSF and his family are located.

As of Wednesday afternoon, shelling could still be heard in the capital more than an hour after the ceasefire came into effect.