On the morning of Sunday, May 14, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces clashed again with heavy and light weapons in the capital Khartoum, while in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the two sides started the second phase of negotiations, mediated by the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Al Jazeera correspondents reported that warplanes frequently bombed the Rapid Support Forces base south of the city of Omdurman (west), at the same time there were shootings in the city’s southern neighborhoods and north of Khartoum (north).
In recent hours, Khartoum has witnessed intense street fighting, airstrikes and a barrage of explosions. The two sides fought in other areas, notably in the Darfur city of El Geneina.
Living conditions for the people of Khartoum are extremely complex as the conflict continues and there are constant interruptions of electricity, internet, water and food shortages.
Millions of Sudanese are still waiting for both sides to fulfill their promises to evacuate civilians from war zones and provide safe passage for humanitarian aid.
On the other hand, Sudanese Foreign Ministry sources told Al Jazeera that the residence of Dafalah Haji Ali, Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Sovereign Council Special Envoy, was attacked and armed robbery, and all belongings were looted.
The source added that the house was in what he called the Rapid Support Forces rebel-held area.
Against this background, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sudan has issued a decision to extend the closure of the airspace to all air traffic until 31 May.
The decision ruled out humanitarian aid and evacuation flights after obtaining permission from the competent authorities, Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported.
new round of negotiations
As clashes with heavy weapons continue in northern Khartoum and Omdurman, a Sudanese diplomatic source with knowledge of the matter told Al Jazeera that the second phase of talks between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces was held in Saudi Arabia at 10 a.m. Mecca time. Beginning in Jeddah, Arabia, with US-Saudi mediation representatives present.
According to the same source, this round will discuss the details of the Declaration of Principles and its annexes and the proposal for a short five-day truce for signature, as well as some issues of a humanitarian nature.
Earlier, two sources, one a Sudanese diplomat and the other from the Rapid Support Forces, told Al Jazeera that the second phase between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces was under US-Saudi mediation. Negotiations will begin in Jeddah on Sunday 14th.
The round of talks will discuss details of a new truce between the two sides, including how long it will last and establishing safe passage for civilians from both sides’ military presence, according to two sources.
The round of talks will also discuss details of the troop withdrawal from hospitals and government services.
The third round will begin after securing compliance with the truce agreement and discussing a permanent ceasefire, the two sources added.
Diplomatic sources said monitoring of the permanent ceasefire would be carried out via satellite from the country initiating the negotiations, but did not rule out the possibility of African Union observers on the ground.
On Friday, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces signed the Jeddah Declaration under the mediation of the US and Saudi Arabia. The agreement calls for “safe passage” to enable civilians to leave conflict areas and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia announced that the Jeddah talks between the conflicting parties in Sudan will continue. The purpose is to reach a ceasefire agreement for about 10 days under the international supervision of the United States and Saudi Arabia, and then to further negotiate a permanent ceasefire.
Since April 15, 2022, there have been massive clashes between the army led by Abdul Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo (Hemeti), About 750 people were killed and 5,000 were injured. In addition, the conflict has displaced 900,000 people, especially from their homes in Khartoum, to other parts of the country or to neighboring countries.
Since the conflict broke out, millions of Sudanese have been living in Khartoum confined to their homes, almost permanently cut off from water, electricity and short on food, cash and fuel.
On Saturday, the 13th, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community, especially the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League and the “IGAD” organization to provide humanitarian assistance in a statement to deal with the severe humanitarian situation.