源 稿 窗
在文章中双击或划词查词典
字号 +
字号 -
折叠显示
全文显示
KHARTOUM, SUDAN —Sounds of gunfire rang out across Sudan's capital Friday, despite renewed cease-fire declarations from Sudan's military and a rival paramilitary force locked in heavy clashes for the past seven days.
Neither side had immediate comment on an offer from Kenyan President William Ruto to mediate the conflict, which has killed hundreds and prompted thousands of Khartoum residents to flee the city.
The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, both said they would honor a 72-hour cease-fire beginning Friday to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"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.
No media source currently available
Gunfire was heard throughout the day in Khartoum, however, raising questions about whether the declared truce would fail like several others this week.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spoke to the heads of both military factions this week, urged the combatants to abide by the truce.
"I reiterate my call on both sides to pause the fighting to allow civilians to take care of themselves and their families, to permit full and unimpeded humanitarian access, and to enable all civilians, including diplomatic personnel, to reach safety," he said in a statement Friday.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that no decision had been made about whether to evacuate diplomatic personnel from Sudan, but that the United States was preparing for such action in case it became necessary.
He said American citizens in Sudan should not expect a U.S. government evacuation.
"If you are an American citizen, and you didn't take our warning to leave Sudan, and particularly Khartoum, you need to take care of your own safety and security, shelter in place" he told VOA.
The RSF announced Friday that it was ready to partially open all of Sudan's airports to allow countries to evacuate their nationals. However, it was not clear to what extent the paramilitary group controlled the country's airports.
Fighting has been reported this week at Khartoum International Airport.
In a televised message to the nation, Army chief General Abdel Fattah Burhan said he remained hopeful the military would win the battle, and he vowed to secure what he called Sudan's "safe transition to civilian rule."
For many Sudanese, Burhan's claim likely rang hollow, as 18 months ago he joined forces with RSF leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo to seize power in a coup that ousted a pro-democracy transitional government.
In Kenya, Ruto made his offer to mediate the conflict as he conveyed a message of goodwill to the Sudanese as 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 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 413 people have been killed in the power struggle between the two previously allied leaders of the ruling military junta, Burhan and Dagalo, according to the World Health Organization.
The group said that thousands more have been injured in the fighting, and that as many as 20,000 people have fled Sudan to neighboring Chad.
At least five aid workers were among the dead, including three from the World Food Program, which suspended operations in Sudan. On Friday, an aid worker with the International Organization for Migration was killed in the city of El Obeid, according to Reuters. The worker was driving his family to safety when his vehicle was caught in the crossfire.
Alyona Synenko, the East Africa regional spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, called the latest aid worker's death "extremely disturbing news and very concerning and saddening for the humanitarian community."
She told VOA a general state of lawlessness was increasing in Sudan.
Mariama Diallo reported from Nairobi, Kenya, while Carol Van Dam Falk and White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reported from Washington. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.