The United Nations Calls The Death Toll Of Armed Clashes In Sudan Reaching 185 People, Government Army And Paramilitary Agree To Ceasefire

Illustration of conditions in Sudan. (Wikimedia Commons/Osama Eid)

Arab-language media reported Sudanese troops had agreed a 24-hour ceasefire, from Tuesday evening, hours after paramilitary forces said they would also comply with the ceasefire.

Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera satellite channels quoted high-ranking military officer Shams El Din Kabbashi, as saying the military would comply with the ceasefire.

It is known that fighting since Saturday has plunged the nation's capital Khartoum and other areas of Sudan into chaos.

Millions of Sudanese in the capital and in other major cities are hiding in their homes, caught in a shootout as both forces battle for control, with the two generals so far insisting to destroy each other.

The death toll in three days of fighting between the Sudanese army and the powerful paramilitary has risen to at least 185, the UN envoy in Khartoum said, with no party heeding the international community's request for a ceasefire.

"Both sides of the war did not give the impression they wanted mediation for the ceasefire among them immediately," Volker Perthes, UN envoy, told reporters on a video link from Khartoum.

Perthes said at least 1,800 others were injured in the fighting. Meanwhile, neither the army nor the RSF have released the number of victims, but each is believed to have lost dozens of soldiers.

The death toll he gave was about 40 higher than the latest figures released Tuesday by an independent medical group linked to Sudan's pro-democracy movement.

Sudan's Central Committee of Doctors said 144 civilians were killed and 1,409, including personnel from the warring parties, were injured.

The UN envoy's comments came at the end of the day, which, according to residents, had witnessed the worst fighting since fighting began on Saturday between soldiers and Rapid Support Forces better known as RSF.

Apart from Khartoum, fighting also occurs in cities throughout Afro-Arab, which has a population of around 45 million.

On Tuesday, some Khartoum was waterless or electric. The streets are quiet and most shops are closed. Gas stations were closed and thousands of residents left the city to spend Eid holidays in their hometowns and villages. Khartoum International Airport, which is controlled by RSF but surrounded by army troops, remains closed on Tuesday for the fourth day in a row.

A senior military intelligence officer told The National News that RSF forces at the airport were holding civilians hostage, using them as human shields to avoid army attacks.

General Mohamed Dagalo, the commander of the RSF, is based in an area near the airport, he added. His claim could not be immediately verified independently. On Tuesday, RSF said it was struggling to restore the rights of the Sudanese people.

"A new revolution began on Saturday and won in a row and continues to do so to achieve its noble goal, which is primarily a civilian government that directs us towards a true transition to democratic rule," RSF said.

It is known that the reluctance of the RSF to fulfill the demands of the Military Commander and Sudanese Military Ruler General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and civilian politicians to integrate into the armed forces is at the heart of the conflict.

This is the only remaining obstacle to solving a long-term political crisis to restore Sudan's democratic transition, which was confused by the 2021 military coup led by Generals Al Burhan and General Dagalo.

Fighting continues despite calls for a ceasefire by world powers and regional heavyweights including the US, UK, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

"This situation has caused many casualties, including many civilians," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday, as he called for a ceasefire and dialogue.