Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry of Egypt and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke about the “concerning situation in Sudan” on Thursday.
“Discussed the concerning situation in Sudan just now with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. Deeply value his assessments and insights, as also his very helpful attitude. Agreed to remain in close touch,” tweeted Jaishankar. Meanwhile, the fighting continued for a sixth day in Khartoum as the second attempt at a ceasefire broke down.
The 24-hour truce was scheduled to start on Wednesday at 6 p.m. local time (16:00 GMT). A proposed truce has not held for the second day in a row.
Both the regular army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) issued statements accusing the other of violating the truce. Actions to secure the capital and other districts will continue, according to the army’s highest command, according to Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera reported that the Sudanese army claimed that 177 Egyptian troops who had been seized by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the northern city of Merowe were transferred back to Egypt on Wednesday.
On four Egyptian military transport aircraft, the men were transported from the Sudan.
In March 2021, the militaries of Cairo and Khartoum signed a military cooperation deal that encompassed border security and training, further cementing their military ties.
The Sudanese army and a paramilitary organisation have been engaged in violent fighting for almost six days now regarding a proposed timetable for the transfer of power to a civilian government.
The UN health agency reports that about 300 individuals have died in the last five days. According to Al Jazeera, thousands of civilians have left Khartoum in search of safety.
According to the Sudanese Doctor’s Union, up to 70% of the hospitals in Khartoum and its adjacent states have been left “out of service” as a result of the war.
The Sudanese health ministry warned that the health sector is “facing a complete collapse” if the fighting persists in a statement shared on Facebook on Wednesday, claiming that 16 hospitals in Khartoum state were forced to close.
As gunshots and explosions could be heard nearby, dozens of Sudanese students who had been trapped for days by fighting near the University of Khartoum managed to escape with the aid of Sudan’s army by crawling through a hole blasted in the campus wall, according to Al Jazeera.
Six days ago, a plan for a transition to a civilian democracy that had received international support collapsed, four years after the previous government was overthrown by widespread protests and two years after a military coup, due to the conflict between Sudan’s military leader and his deputy on the ruling council.
