Sudanese army strikes RSF gathering sites despite unilateral truce
June 28, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Air Force conducted airstrikes on Wednesday in southern Omdurman, targeting new gathering sites of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), despite the previously announced unilateral truce during Eid al-Adha.
The aerial bombardment specifically focused on RSF positions in the Mansoura, Mohandessin, and Al-Fatihab areas south of Omdurman.
Local sources informed Al-Jazeera that the targeted sites were newly established and did not exist before the warring parties declared the unilateral truce for the first day of Eid al-Adha.
In addition, clashes erupted between the army and paramilitary forces south of the capital, Khartoum, involving heavy and light weaponry.
Warplanes also bombed RSF gatherings near the Halfaya Bridge in Bahri, north of Khartoum.
The failure of Saudi and American mediators to halt the war in Sudan led to the suspension of the Jeddah talks.
In a statement issued on Eid Al Adha, the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) reiterated their call to cease the fighting.
They expressed their determination to continue efforts to reach a truce that would pave the way for ending the armed conflict in the country.
The FFC emphasized, “We also call on both parties to immediately release prisoners and detainees and to prioritize the interest of the homeland by promptly halting the war and all associated violations.”
During a speech in North Darfur’s Karnoi area to mark Eid al-Adha, Minni Minnawi condemned the ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, characterizing it as a “struggle for power” where “the victor will be a loser.”
The governor of Darfur addressed the continued violence in the region against civilians, highlighting instances of “racism, looting, and the absence of basic moral values”, as he said.
Expressing frustration with the warring parties, the governor said he was tired of urging them to end the fighting. He also reiterated his condemnation of the killing of the governor of West Darfur, stressing that there was no justification for such acts.
The UNITAMS underscored, in a statement to mark the religious holiday in Sudan, that according to international law, the parties involved in a conflict bear the responsibility of safeguarding civilians within the territories they control.
The RSF and allied militias remain accountable for violence against civilians, rape and looting in their areas, including in Khartoum, and ethnically targeted violence against civilians in Darfur, said the UN mission in Sudan.
While the Sudanese army “remains accountable for attacks in civilian populated areas, including aerial bombardments of residential areas in Khartoum,” added the statement.
(ST)