A cease-fire declared by Sudan’s paramilitary with the military for the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan failed as fighting continued yesterday. Kenyan President William Ruto offered to mediate after multiple cease-fires failed to hold as the conflict entered the seventh day.
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had said that it had agreed to a 72-hour truce on humanitarian grounds beginning from 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) local time yesterday, to coincide with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
“The truce coincides with the blessed Eid al-Fitr … to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens and give them the opportunity to greet their families,” the RSF said in a statement.
However, bombing and shelling rocked the capital, Khartoum, yesterday. There was no immediate comment from the army, and its leader, General Abdel Fattah Burhan, did not mention a cease-fire in a recorded speech posted on the army’s Facebook page.
The RSF said it had to act in “self-defense” to repel what it described as a coup attempt, adding that it is committed to a “complete cease-fire” during the armistice period.
In a televised message to the nation, Burhan reiterated the commitment of the military to restore stability in the country.
He extended his message of Eid to all Sudanese people despite the ongoing fighting for the restoration of a “civilian rule” in Sudan. Burhan said he remains hopeful the military will win the battle, and he vowed to restore peace and stability. Wisdom and strength will protect the country, he said, and allow a safe transition to civilian rule.
In Kenya, Ruto made his offer to mediate the conflict as he conveyed a message of goodwill to the Sudanese as the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end.
Murithi Mutiga, Africa program director of the International Crisis Group, said it’s encouraging that neighbors, including Kenya, are eager to help resolve the Sudan crisis, but he’s skeptical that Ruto or any one leader can do it alone.
“The reality, though, is that you need concerted actions by multiple external partners because nobody has really substantial leverage over the main actors,” he said.
Ruto said he strongly believes that a peacefully negotiated solution to the conflict in Sudan is within reach. He expressed hope the fighting parties will respond to appeals to end the fighting put forth this week by the East African regional bloc IGAD and the African Union.
But Mutiga said major powers need to step in.
“It’s good to support the regional initiatives that might send the Kenyans, the Djiboutians, and South Sudanese heads of state, but they need to be backed up by serious external pressure, particularly by two key players: Saudi Arabia and the U.S.,” he said. “They have considerable access to the main actors. They might be able to move the needle and they might be able to encourage them to accept talks.”
Ruto said halting the fight will be a gesture of goodwill and will stop a descent into conflict, insecurity, instability and humanitarian crisis.
Mutiga said that the RSF’s announcement of a cease-fire that was seemingly met with no interest from the Sudanese army suggests the RSF might be under some sort of military pressure.
“But we have to remember that this is a very large force, very motivated force and one with a lot at stake,” Mutiga said. “The armed forces seem determined to crush them militarily, but that is partly because they worry that a truce might allow the RSF to reinforce.”
Regardless, Mutiga said it is essential that the two parties move toward an agreement sooner rather than later because the suffering in Sudan has been horrific.
At least 330 people have been killed in the power struggle between two previously allied leaders of the ruling military junta, army chief Burhan and RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
