What truce? Citizens of Sudan respond to 'meaningless' seventh ceasefire

Civilians in Sudan have responded with anger and derision as the seventh consecutive ceasefire has failed to protect them from looting, gunfights and hunger.

Two days since the latest US and Saudi-brokered ceasefire came into effect, residents of Khartoum and Omdurman, Sudan’s two largest cities, have still seen fighting on the streets, airstrikes and heavy artillery fire in densely-populated areas. 

Residents of Omdurman have even reported RSF fighters opening fire on civilians in urban areas and chasing them through their neighbourhoods. 

#SudanUprising

23 May 2023

21 seconds of footage:

"11:04 PM Rapid Support militia shoots at citizens in Fallujah Square and chases them inside the neighborhood," Umbada, Omdurman. https://t.co/t6kS2OSeHc

— ChristineKaratnytsky (@ckaratnytsky) May 24, 2023

Some areas saw relative calm through Tuesday and Wednesday, with fighters taking time to consolidate their positions. 

Looting has also continued unabated - and some residents believe that the truce has provided cover for fighters to increase their plundering of civilian property and key parts of the Sudanese infrastructure. 

"A ceasefire without genuine cessation of hostilities and political solution is just meaningless," Sudanese activist Hala al-Karib told The New Arab from inside Sudan. 

"If anything the truce has allowed for more looting, more kidnapping and sexual abuse - because this war is one where civilians are the spoils. This war is fought over their bodies, their homes and businesses - and they become the human shields," said al-Karib. 

The MSF headquarters in Khartoum have even been looted, and medical sites across the country have been repeatedly raided for medicine and valuable equipment.

Losing access to our Khartoum warehouse and its contents has life-ending consequences for Sudanese people.

We had just finished allocating 40 tonnes of medical supply to support healthcare throughout the city…#sudan https://t.co/ShY3rt5qom

— Javid Abdelmoneim (@DrJavidA) May 23, 2023

"We are experiencing a violation of humanitarian principles and the space for humanitarians to work is shrinking on a scale I've rarely seen before," said Jean-Nicolas Armstrong Dangelser, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Sudan.

"After the looting of one of our medical warehouses in Khartoum, fridges were unplugged and medicines removed.

"The entire cold chain was ruined so the medicines are spoiled and can’t be used to treat anyone."

Surgeons have even been reduced to performing operations using the torchlights on their phones. 

Heavy artillery fire reported in Omdurman.

“Like we said, Omdurman seems to not be part of the ceasefire”#KeepEyesOnSudan https://t.co/jKDJNmdvKs

— Munchkin (@BSonblast) May 23, 2023

While both forces show no shred of inclination to compromise or reconcile, many Sudanese residents believe that the ceasefire makes conditions even more dangerous. 

People and their homes, businesses, and possessions are now vulnerable to both sets of soldiers making the most of the superficial calm. 

"The aim is to strip the citizens of Khartoum of their modest possessions and humiliate them. Ultimately, the truce allows for more freedom to continue the real battle - against the Sudanese people," said Hala al-Karib. 

So in conclusion - we know they’re not abiding by the ceasefire but we can’t do shit! Here’s some aid (maybe) https://t.co/6krhZzkUCd

— raz (@rzelsir) May 23, 2023