Here is the situation on Wednesday, April 26, 2023:
Fighting
- A US-brokered ceasefire in Sudan appears to be partially holding, but according to the UN, there is no sign the warring factions are ready to seriously negotiate a lasting peace.
- The three-day ceasefire has largely held in the capital, Khartoum, although scattered clashes persisted elsewhere in the country.
- Gunfire and explosions could also be heard after nightfall in Omdurman, one of Khartoum’s sister cities on the Nile River, where the army used drones to target Rapid Support Forces (RSF) positions.
- Security fears were compounded when the World Health Organization warned of a “huge biological risk” after fighters occupied a Khartoum laboratory holding samples of cholera, measles, polio, and other infectious diseases.
Civilians
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the violence and chaos in Sudan as “heartbreaking”. The power struggle puts Sudan’s future at risk, could cause suffering for years, and set back development for decades, he said.
- Evacuations continue and the first Turkish civilians in Sudan left on Wednesday, with more than 100 people arriving by plane at Istanbul airport. Several more flights were expected later to evacuate the remaining Turkish citizens crossing to Ethiopia from Sudan.
- A boat carrying nearly 1,700 civilians from more than 50 countries arrived in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom’s foreign ministry said. The Saudi military has evacuated 2,148 people, including more than 2,000 foreigners.
- The whereabouts of ex-leader Omar al-Bashir came into question after a former minister in his government, Ali Haroun, announced he fled the prison with other ex-officials.
- Fighting has killed at least 459 people and wounded more than 4,000 across Africa’s third-biggest country, according to UN agencies.
Diplomacy
- The United States has taken the lead in trying to end the burst of violence in Sudan.
- State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said US diplomats remained “deeply engaged” with all sides to try to extend the ceasefire and make it permanent – with hopes of a path to civilian rule.
- Molly Phee, the top US diplomat for Africa, and John Godfrey, US ambassador to Sudan who was evacuated, have been involved in detailed negotiations with the two generals in coordination with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
