Aid organizations hope to act during the ceasefire, but need a guarantee of safe passage for warring parties.
In the Sudanese capital Khartoum, things were relatively quiet for the first few hours after a 24-hour ceasefire – the latest attempt to end intense fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF). ), reports Hiba Morgan of Al Jazeera.
The ceasefire brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia went into effect at 06:00 (04:00 GMT) on Saturday, in the hopes of mediators that a lull in the fighting will allow the safe passage of much-needed supplies. humanitarian aid throughout the country.
“We have not heard any sound of artillery shelling,” Morgan said Saturday from Omdurman, located on the outskirts of the Sudanese capital.
The ceasefire also hopes to end the fighting that has raged since April 15, when a rivalry between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo exploded into open warfare.
A series of previous ceasefires have failed, with both sides accusing each other of violations.
The warring parties have agreed to abide by the ceasefire, Morgan said, but the shorter ceasefire compared to others in the past is partly to test whether it will actually be observed this time.
The US and Saudi Arabia said they shared “frustration” over past violations and threatened to dismantle ceasefire talks if fighting continues.
Residents are waiting to see how the ceasefire will play out before trying to take action, whether stocking up on basic supplies or trying to leave Khartoum because of the ongoing fighting, Morgan said.
“A one-day ceasefire is far less than what we are aiming for,” Mahmud Bashir, a resident of North Khartoum, told AFP news agency. “We look forward to the end of this goddamn war.”
In the week before the ceasefire, fighting escalated around key army bases, with the RSF claiming to have taken control of a weapons manufacturing complex in the southern part of the capital.
Residents also reported anti-aircraft missiles being fired into southern Khartoum and the Sharg el-Nil district across the Nile, which came under aerial attack just before the ceasefire came into effect.
“Many residents say that the situation is becoming hopeless. We are talking about a number of residential areas where there are still people, but where there is no access to basic necessities,” Morgan said.
Aid agencies hope to step in to alleviate some of the shortages, but need a guarantee of safe passage for the warring factions to reach some parts of the capital, she added.
Khartoum residents told Morgan they hoped the 24-hour ceasefire would allow some humanitarian aid, especially medical aid for those in dire need, including those injured in the fighting.