Fighting Surges Despite Agreement
Current Figures
At least 604 killed and 5,100 wounded
IOM: 736,223 IDPs
UN: 450,000+ children have fled their homes
UNHCR: 204,984 refugees & returnees have fled
Egypt: 81,172 (Sudanese refugees: 76,135, Other refugees: 5,037)
Chad: 60,000 (Sudanese refugees: 60,000)
South Sudan: 51,490 (Sudanese refugees: 942, Other refugees: 2,187, Refugee returnees: 48,361)
CAR: 9,730 (Sudanese refugees: 6,333, Refugee returnees: 3,397)
Ethiopia: 2,592 (Sudanese refugees: 264, Other refugees: 2,302, Refugee returnees: 26)
Reps Agree to Protect Civilians and Aid, Yet No Ceasefire
“Sudan's warring factions early on Friday committed to protect civilians and the movement of humanitarian aid, but did not agree to a ceasefire and remain far apart, U.S. officials said.” Named the Jeddah Declaration, representatives of both parties signed an agreement to recognize civilian needs and to discuss a possible short-term ceasefire in the future. The restoration of water and electricity was also confirmed. The potential ceasefire that negotiators are pushing for would last up to 10 days. According to US officials, civilian groups are expected to participate in negotiations at a later date.
On May 11, it was reported that the fighting was the most intense in Khartoum since the conflict began. The SAF is trying to cut off RSF supply lines while the RSF has taken refuge in homes that have been vacated, sometimes forcing civilians out of their homes. “While the RSF is using residents as human shields, the army has been shelling indiscriminately.” Fighting is primarily ground-to-air missiles; there is limited face-to-face fighting.
Despite the announced progress in truce talks, fighting is still being reported in Khartoum. Martin Griffiths, global head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, stated that aid operations still need to happen, with or without a ceasefire. “While we get commitments from the two leaders, we need to drill down into what that means for each neighborhood.”
Aid Desperations Continue to Escalate
According to UNHCR Spokesperson Olga Sarrado, 200,000 refugees and returnees have fled Sudan. UNICEF reported that $600,000 worth of supplies have arrived in Port Sudan, with one last charter flight worth $300,000 received on the 11th. Despite this progress, UNICEF stated that a fire destroyed a factory in Khartoum yesterday that produced “ready to use therapeutic food for the treatment of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.” Along with the machinery, the fire destroyed food that could have fed 14,500 children. The perpetrators of the fire are unknown at this time.
Samil Factory in Khartoum. Source: Sudan News
UNITAMS chief Volker Perthes stated that humanitarian aid access to Khartoum is crucial but will be impossible without followthrough from the Jeddah Declaration. “We therefore hope that yesterday's agreement will indeed help to be applied on the ground through humanitarian agencies, the United Nations, and their non-governmental organization partners.”
Looking Forward
The declaration of the warring sides committed to protecting civilians and the distribution of humanitarian aid while continuing fighting remains a paradox. The SAF’s Facebook page, which is updated multiple times a day, did not deem the Declaration important enough to mention in any of its lengthy posts on the 11th when it was signed, or the day after. Instead, the army focused on atrocities committed by the RSF, boasted about their military accomplishments of the day, and continued to advise civilians to avoid any movement “where clashes occur between our forces”; a contradictory statement to the Declaration that is supposed to protect civilians and their freedom of movement. The RSF did briefly mention the Jeddah Declaration, at the end of a Twitter post that accused the SAF of “barbaric behavior”.
“We assure the masses of the Sudanese people that we signed the Jeddah Declaration yesterday, taking into account the difficult humanitarian conditions that the citizens are going through, despite our full knowledge from previous experiences that the extremists have no covenant and will not heed the suffering of our people in obtaining food, medicine and movement.”
Even just hours after signing an ‘agreement’, both parties seem more focused on accusing each other rather than prioritising civilian safety measures. Proof of apathy for civilian safety is a report by Sudan News that the air force was bombing Khartoum and anti-aircraft missiles could be heard just a day after the signing.
The Jeddah Declaration states that both parties agreed that the “Sudanese people are our top priority and affirm our commitment to ensure that civilians are protected at all times.” As with the multiple ceasefires that went ignored, gunfire and explosions continue to destroy Sudan and civilian lives post the signing of the agreement. One hopes to see the Declaration points implemented in the coming hours and days. The agreement is progress and it should be seen as such. But without a ceasefire that is not only agreed to but truly enacted, the Jeddah Declaration currently reads more like false promises.