Situation in Sudan (per 12 May)

  • The Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan has been signed between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after days of negotiations.
  • The parties committed to securing distribution of humanitarian aid, refraining from interfering with humanitarian operations, protecting humanitarian workers and abiding by international humanitarian and human rights law.
  • The agreement further includes protection of civilians, allowing safe passage to anyone fleeing the war,  withdrawing from important facilities such as hospitals, and securing safe passage of medical personnel.
  • The next step in the negotiations is a short-term ceasefire which should be well-monitored to avoid the continuous  violations of ceasefires. 
  • The monitoring mechanism would report to a committee which the negotiating parties intend to establish. It would comprise delegates of SAF, RSF and the international community.
  • The proposed ceasefire monitoring mechanism will include overhead imagery and social media analysis, as well as on-the-ground reporting by civil society.
  • The most intense fighting currently is reported in Omdurman and Bahri where SAF is trying to retake the Shambat Bridge which is the main supply route of RSF into Bahri.
  • A SAF fighter jet was shot down which crashed into a market area, several sources confirmed.
  • Fighting over the Blue Nile and Kobar bridges, controlled by RSF, is ongoing since several days.
  • Fighting is ongoing along the Salha – Omdurman road. RSF supply convoys are targeted by SAF.
  • Communities across the frontier regions of Sudan are being drawn into the conflict, as civilian fighting in the South of Sudan has emerged, as well as in the Darfur region.
  • There have been many attacks on camps for internally displaced people, most of whom do not identify themselves as Arab. There have also been many attacks destroying humanitarian infrastructure.
  • In Nyala, the heavy fighting and looting means that health services are inaccessible, both because reaching them is unsafe and because most centres are not operational.
  • Imams in Nyala called on RSF fighters to stop fighting, saying that fighting in Nyala and other places outside of Khartoum is pointless. They received positive responses from a number of local commanders. Similar results were achieved in North Darfur.
  • In El-Geneina such a ceasefire has not been reached, and it has seen some of the most severe fighting.
  • At least 18 humanitarian workers have been killed since the start of the conflict.
  • Community leaders and initiatives have been taking over the work of absent humanitarian actors, hunting down looted medicine, cleaning up clinics and cooking meals for doctors.
  • Local ceasefires have managed to prevent and reduce fighting in capitals of four regional states.
  • Fighters loyal to Sudanese politician Minni Minnawi, a former rebel leader in Darfur in the 2000s, are reportedly moving from Khartoum back to Darfur. Civilians from Darfur are starting to arm themselves to defend their families and properties.
  • In North Kordofan, the fighting has been concentrated in the city of El Obeid.
  • Millions of dollars worth of food aid has been looted from the World Food Programme (WFP) in Khartoum and a factory producing food for malnourished children was burned down.
  • Medical supplies from the WHO warehouses in Port Sudan are still undergoing clearances.
  • Multi-purpose cash assistance is being considered by multiple organisations, though the current cash-flow problems in Sudan may hinder this.
  • Lists targeting journalists for allegedly supporting sides have emerged, according to Sudan’s Journalist Syndicate. It warns that this could potentially lead to assassinations of these journalists.
  • A journalist of the French newspaper Le Figaro, who, in an article, called on the international community to support Hemedti rather than Burhan, is being investigated by the Société des Journalistes.

Situation in Tigray (per 12 May)

  • Eritrean forces reportedly prevented the AU Monitoring and Verification Mission from visiting Zalambesa and Dawhan, Tigray, Ethiopia, on 11 May. The mission was stopped at checkpoints in Sobeya and Engal.
  • The Zalembesa – Dawhan area concerns the Irob area, which has been occupied by Eritrean forces since the beginning of the war in Tigray.
  • Humanitarian aid transported by UN OCHA to Irob was also denied access by Eritrean forces stationed in occupied areas in Tigray.
  • Many schools and health facilities remain inoperational due to the presence of Eritreans in Zalambesa and Gulomekeda, in the Irob area of Tigray.
  • 552 schools in Tigray are still inaccessible due to the presence of Amhara and Eritrean forces, according to Tigray Education Bureau.
  • Amhara forces are currently occupying 479 schools in Southern, Western and North Tigray, and Eritrean forces are occupying 72 schools in Central and Eastern Tigray.
  • Unoccupied schools near the Amhara and Eritrean border remain closed, due to security concerns.

Regional Situation (per 12 May)

  • President Isaias Afwerki received Sudanese Amb. Dafallah Alhaj today, who brought a message from General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, commander of the SAF.
  • Eritrean state media TesfaNews states thousands of Sudanese refugees are crossing into Eritrea.
  • Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki made a statement welcoming any Sudanese person or foreigner living in Sudan to Eritrea.

International Situation (per 12 May)

  • The trilateral mechanism, consisting of the UN, the AU and IGAD, have welcomed the signing of the Declaration of Commitment to Protect Sudanese Civilians.
  • They urge the parties to convert the agreement into meaningful action on the ground, and express their readiness to offer support therein.
  • Eritrean President Isaias will pay a state visit to China to meet President Xi, starting from 14 May.

Links of interest

SAF and RSF sign agreement intended to lay groundwork for humanitarian assistance in Sudan, say US officials

Sudan’s warring sides agree to protect civilians amid fighting

Communal violence and civilian deaths in Sudan fuel fears of widening conflict

Sudan’s army and RSF fight on after ceasefire talks fail

Alarm bells ring over Le Figaro journalist’s pro-Hemeti article

Sudan fighting in its 28th day: A list of key events

Local ceasefires and disrupted aid: How Sudan’s conflict is impacting Darfur

Tigrai Television

Twitter: Yemane G. Meskel

Twitter: Tigray Education Bureau

Twitter: Tesfanews

Statement By The Trilateral Mechanism On The Signing Of A Declaration Of Commitment To Protect The Civilians Of Sudan
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki to visit China
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