Ceasefire for 24 hours Sudan announced the creation of a paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) following the approval of its head, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known as “Khemedi”).

On the other hand, the Sudanese army denied its consent. Thus, Hemedi now accuses the Sudanese army of “failing to respect the ceasefire, bombing densely populated areas from the air and endangering people’s lives.”

“We look forward to further discussions with the US Secretary of State (Anthony Blinken) on how best to respond to these violations,” Dagalo wrote in a series of tweets.

Following a conversation with the US Secretary of State @SecBlinken and outreach to other friendly countries similarly calling for a temporary ceasefire, the RSF reiterates its approval of the 24 HR ceasefire to allow safe passage for civilians and evacuation of the wounded. 1/4

— Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (@GeneralDaglo) April 18, 2023

For its part, the Sudanese Armed Forces simply stated: “We have entered a critical phase, and our efforts are focused on achieving goals at the operational level.”

An earlier RSF statement indicated that they were fighting to restore “the rights of our people”.

“The new revolution (…) continues to achieve its noble goals, the main of which is the formation of a political government that will lead us to a true democratic transition,” the statement said.

Conversations between the two parties with Blinken

Dagalo said today that he spoke with Blinken on the phone and “discussed pressing issues.”

“We will have one more conversation to continue the dialogue and work hand in hand to build a brighter future for our nations,” he tweeted.

Dagalo’s whereabouts have not been known since Saturday, when clashes broke out between the regular army and the SRB.

The US Secretary of State also spoke with the head of the Sudanese army, General Abdel Fattah al-Buran, according to the State Department.

Blinken urged both leaders to agree to a ceasefire and stressed that both have a responsibility to “guarantee the safety and health of civilians, diplomatic personnel and humanitarian workers,” the same source said.

UN Special Representative Volker Perthes said Saturday’s clashes left at least 185 people dead and more than 1,800 injured. Also in Khartoum there were interruptions in water supply and electricity supply.

Smoke shrouds the capital as residents report airstrikes, artillery shelling and gunfire. Offices, schools and gas stations remained closed yesterday, and most hospitals were closed.

Bridges connecting Khartoum to Omdurman and Bahri are blocked by armored personnel carriers, and some roads leading out of the capital are inaccessible.

Fighting in Khartoum and the neighboring cities of Omdurman and Bahri is the worst in decades and threatens to split Sudan into two military factions that have shared power during a difficult political transition.

Egypt and UAE working on ceasefire proposal

Meanwhile, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are working on a ceasefire proposal, two Egyptian security sources said.

Cairo is the main sponsor of the Sudanese military, and Dagalo maintains ties with foreign powers such as the Emirates and Russia.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said yesterday that he is in constant contact with the army and the RSF to “persuade them to accept the ceasefire.”

Although the Sudanese army is outnumbered and has an air force, the RSF has a larger presence around Khartoum and other cities.

‘Nearly impossible’ to help Khartoum residents

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said it was almost impossible to deliver humanitarian services around and in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, while warning that the country’s healthcare system was on the brink of collapse.

“The truth is that it is now almost impossible to provide any humanitarian services around and inside Khartoum,” said Farid Aivar, head of the IFRC delegation in Sudan.

“There are calls from various organizations and stuck people asking to be removed,” he added.

Aiwar warned that if the problems persist, the Sudanese healthcare system will “nearly collapse”.

For its part, the World Health Organization has indicated that there have been three attacks on health infrastructure so far that have killed at least three people, and reiterated its call for them to be stopped.

“Attacks on health infrastructure are a flagrant violation of humanitarian law and the right to health and must be stopped immediately,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said.

Harris added that hospitals in Khartoum are facing a severe shortage of vital supplies and power outages are making it difficult to provide basic services.

Attack on an American diplomatic convoy

Earlier today, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said a US diplomatic convoy was fired on in Sudan and no one was hurt.

“I can confirm that yesterday, Monday, an American diplomatic convoy was shelled in Sudan,” Blinken said after the G7 foreign ministers summit in Japan. “Our employees are alive and well,” he added, referring to the “irresponsible” act.

“The incident is being investigated to find out exactly what happened. According to our preliminary information, this was caused by forces associated with the RSF,” Blinken said.

In this context, the US Secretary of State held telephone conversations with both Dagalo and the head of the Sudanese army, General Abdel Fattah al-Buran, warning them of the consequences of the relevant events.

“I made it absolutely clear that any threat of attack on our diplomats is completely unacceptable,” he stressed.

“We are deeply concerned about the overall security environment as it affects civilians, diplomats, humanitarian workers,” the US Secretary of State added.

Last night, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that the EU ambassador to Sudan “attacked” him in his house.

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