Battling fighters in Sudan said Sunday they had begun an hours-long humanitarian pause, including to evacuate wounded, on the second day of raging urban battles that killed more than 50 civilians, including three UN staff, and sparked international outcry. After the killing of the three World Food Programme workers the agency said it was suspending operations in the impoverished country. Deafening explosions and intense gunfire rattled buildings in the capital Khartoum’s densely-populated northern and southern suburbs as tanks rumbled on the streets and fighter jets roared overhead, witnesses said.
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Violence erupted early Saturday after weeks of power struggles between army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the heavily-armed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Each accused the other of starting the fight.The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said they had recorded 56 civilians killed as well as “tens of deaths” among security forces, and around 600 wounded.
Late Sunday afternoon the army said they had “agreed to a United Nations proposal to open safe passage for humanitarian cases”, including the evacuation of wounded, for three hours from 1400 GMT.
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RSF issued a separate statement saying they had agreed to the measure, though they said it would last four hours, and both sides maintained their right to “respond in the event of transgressions” from the other side.One hour into the agreed pause, heavy gunfire could still be heard in central Khartoum near the airport.
Medics had pleaded for safe corridors for ambulances and a ceasefire to treat the victims. They warned the streets were too dangerous to bring many casualties to hospitals.
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