Sudan ceasefire at risk as fighting grows - analysis

Sudan’s ceasefire, which was pushed by the US and Saudi Arabia, is in danger of falling apart and not being renewed after the Sudanese army bombed bases of the Rapid Support Forces.

The two groups have been fighting since April and the country has rapidly plunged into civil war, with millions displaced and at risk. 

The recent clashes took place on Wednesday, according to various reports from the capital city of Khartoum.  The AFP noted that key bases of commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo's RSF paramilitary came under attack by troops loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al Burhan. 

The clashes take a heavy toll on Sudanese people

There was heavy artillery fire, and reports say that 1,800 have been killed since April 15, but the death toll is likely higher.

At the same time, UNICEF has put out a warning regarding the millions of children in Sudan affected by the war. The organization warned that there are an estimated 13.6 million children in Sudan. There is now a call to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in funds to help Sudan. More than 1 million people have already been displaced and many have fled to other countries.  

It now appears the Sudanese army will not abide by the ceasefire. The army accuses the RSF of not abiding by the ceasefire’s various clauses. This creates an impossible situation in which there is no real outside force or mechanism that can help enforce the ceasefire or give incentives for the sides to return to the table for talks. It’s not clear if the US, distracted by other issues in the region, will focus on Sudan.