A burnt-out bank branch in southern Khartoum. AFP
A burnt-out bank branch in southern Khartoum. AFP
A burnt-out bank branch in southern Khartoum. AFP
A burnt-out bank branch in southern Khartoum. AFP

Khartoum rocked by artillery fire, clashes on second day of truce


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The sound of heavy artillery shelling and explosions was heard on Wednesday in Khartoum and the adjoining city of Omdurman, residents said.

The renewed fighting shattered a seven-day truce agreed to by the army and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Residents also told The National that heavy clashes were taking place between the two sides around the army-held base of Wad Sayedna, 20km west of Khartoum.

The base has an air strip believed to be used by jet fighters that have been pounding RSF positions since the fighting began on April 15.

Khartoum airport has been closed since the fighting began last month, with RSF fighters in near total control. That leaves Wad Sayedna the only airstrip in the greater Khartoum area available to the army.

Also on Wednesday, residents said the east Khartoum district of Manshiyah was being shelled and that jet fighters could be heard flying over the city.

The violence came after a truce mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia came into effect on Monday night. Fighting picked up in the hours before the truce began, but Khartoum was relatively quiet until fighting erupted again on Wednesday.

The ceasefire agreement, which provides for the delivery of humanitarian aid, is being monitored by Saudi Arabia and the United States as well as the warring parties. The deal came after five weeks of intense fighting in Khartoum and outbursts of violence in other areas of the country, including the western region of Darfur.

Aid workers say supplies and personnel arriving at Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast have been awaiting security permits and guarantees before they can leave.

Smoke rises above buildings in Khartoum on the second of a seven-day ceasefire. AFP
Smoke rises above buildings in Khartoum on the second of a seven-day ceasefire. AFP

Late on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia and the United States said members of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, which includes representatives of the army and the RSF, had spoken to their chains of command about reported breaches of the truce.

The conflict has brought sustained air strikes and ground fighting to the capital region for the first time. Many residents are struggling to survive as they face prolonged water and power cuts, a collapse of health services and widespread lawlessness and looting.

The United Nations human rights chief called the situation in Sudan "heartbreaking" and said there were "very deeply troubling" accounts of sexual violence in Khartoum and Darfur with at least 25 cases reported so far and the real number likely to be much higher.

Sudan was facing severe humanitarian pressures even before the conflict broke out last month and forced more than 1.1 million people to flee their homes, threatening to destabilise the wider region.

More than 300,000 people have now fled Sudan to neighbouring countries, some of which are similarly impoverished and have a history of internal conflict. Many have crossed into Chad and Egypt in the past few days, Filippo Grandi, head of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Wednesday.

"Donor contributions to the refugee response plan remain scarce. We need more resources, urgently, to support countries hosting refugees," he said on Twitter.

The UN says the number of people requiring aid in Sudan has jumped to 25 million, more than half the population.

Additional reporting by Reuters

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

The Matrix Resurrections

Director: Lana Wachowski

Stars:  Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick 

Rating:****

Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year

2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)

Race card

4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m

4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m

5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m

5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m

6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m

6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m

7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m

The National selections:

4pm Zabardast

4.35pm Ibn Malik

5.10pm Space Blues

5.45pm Kimbear

6.20pm Barney Roy

6.55pm Matterhorn

7.30pm Defoe

Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.

Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.

The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.

Updated: May 24, 2023, 5:25 PM