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| ©Reuters |
The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been in a power struggle since April 15, when they toppled a civilian government in an October 2021 coup. Both sides have extended a ceasefire agreement due to expire at midnight, but the army believes the rebels have intended to keep up attacks. At least 528 people have been killed and 4,599 wounded, the health ministry said.
The United Nations has reported a similar number of dead but believes the real toll is much higher. Many fear for their lives as Sudan's two most powerful men prosecute the war in a country that has faced civil wars, coups, and economic hardship for decades.
The fighting in Sudan has led to a civil war, derailing an internationally-backed transition to establish a democratic government and sending tens of thousands of people fleeing into neighbouring countries. It had also deepened the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where a third of the people depended on some form of humanitarian assistance before the fighting erupted. Victoria, one of the tea sellers who used to dot Khartoum's streets before the war began, said her children struggle to understand what is happening.
The army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has said he would never sit down with RSF chief General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who in turn said he would talk only after the army ceased hostilities. The conflict has sent tens of thousands of people fleeing across Sudan's borders and prompted warnings that the country could disintegrate, destabilising a volatile region and prompting foreign governments to evacuate their nationals.
