Nearly a month ago, the country’s army and the RSF went to war.

Residents of Khartoum have described intense fights across the city and said there is no evidence to suggest warring parties in Sudan are abiding by a deal signed in Jeddah to safeguard civilians, according to reports.

Fighting has continued since Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary organisation agreed to a “declaration of principles” on Thursday, Al Jazeera reported.

Warring factions in Jeddah vowed to protect civilians in Sudan as well as the flow of humanitarian aid, amid talks mediated by hosts Saudi Arabia and the United States.

On Friday, Qatar welcomed the signing by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the aspiration of the State of Qatar that the
declaration paves the way for a permanent and comprehensive cessation of the military conflict,” a statement read.

“In addition, it leads to broad negotiations in which all Sudanese political forces participate, in order to reach a comprehensive agreement and sustainable peace that achieves the aspirations of the brotherly Sudanese people for stability, development and prosperity.

“The ministry reaffirms the position of the State of Qatar calling for an immediate halt to the fighting in Sudan, the exercise of maximum restraint, resorting to the voice of reason, and giving priority to the public interest,” it added.

Fighting resumed in Geneina on Friday that resulted in at least 77 fatalities, according to the Darfur Bar Association, a local rights group.

Prior ceasefires have been broken by fighting, and neither side has demonstrated any sign of willingness to make concessions. The army has not yet provided a response to the RSF’s pledge to uphold Thursday’s accord, reports said.

Nearly a month ago, the country’s army and the RSF went to war.

Nearly 200,000 people have been forced out of their homes and many of which have headed towards neighbouring states. At least 700,000 people are thought to be internally displaced.

Meanwhile, widespread looting has been attributed to a shortage of food and medicine as well as the departure of international relief organisations.

Power struggle

The RSF is led by former militia leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti. He was also the leader of the Janjaweed militia during the Darfur genocide in 2003, in which the group carried out war crimes in cooperation with former leader Sudanese Omar Al Bashir.

Bashir was toppled in 2019 during a mass revolution in Sudan, during which protesters across the country demanded civilian leadership. 

However, four months into the Sudanese uprising, military leaders signed a power-sharing agreement with the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) and formed a Sovereign Council.

The declaration set late 2023 as the deadline for elections to elect a civilian administration. 

Sudanese political parties and the military signed a deal December last year, which aimed to pave the way for a two-year civilian transition period, though its fate remains in question as the flare up continues.