On the impact of fierce clashes in Khartoum. Jeddah, Qatar continue talks send 35 tons of medical aid to Sudan

Renewed violent clashes with heavy weapons on Wednesday between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in the capital Khartoum, coinciding with the continuation of negotiations between the two parties mediated by the United States and Saudi Arabia in the city of Jeddah, at a time when a Qatari plane carrying 35 tons of medical aid arrived in Sudan.

Eyewitnesses said that clashes renewed on Wednesday morning in the cities of Bahri (north of Khartoum) and Omdurman (west) with heavy and light weapons, with warplanes continuing to fly to bomb the rapid support gatherings.

Sudan's clashes have entered their second month amid humanitarian suffering exacerbated by shortages of fuel, bread and electricity, water scarcity, and continued displacement from combat areas.

On Tuesday, the non-governmental Sudan Medical Syndicate announced that the death toll had risen to 822 civilians since the clashes began on April 15.

A military source in the army told Al Jazeera that the Sudanese armed forces were able on Tuesday to thwart attacks by what he called the Rapid Support Militia from 3 different directions.

According to the source, the aim of the attacks was to destabilize the military air base in the Wadi Sidna area in Omdurman.

The source said army forces were able to regain control of some areas they withdrew from on Tuesday, including the Central Sector Command of the Air Force and the Military Sports Branch in central Khartoum.

On the other hand, the Rapid Support Forces said that what it described as the forces of the putschists and the remnants of the former regime tried at dawn on Tuesday to surprise the gatherings of its forces in the northern Bahri region, but the Rapid Support confronted the aggressor force.

The RSF posted a video on Twitter that it said showed it took control of the air defence command in Khartoum overnight following battles with the Sudanese army.

The footage shows members of the Rapid Support Forces standing in front of the IDF building following what they said were battles and clashes with Sudanese army forces.

Jeddah Talks

Politically, the US State Department said Ambassador John Godfrey remains in Jeddah to support talks between the RSF and the Sudanese military on a ceasefire and humanitarian arrangements.

For his part, an informed Sudanese diplomatic source told Al Jazeera that negotiations between the two sides of the fighting, mediated by the United States and Saudi Arabia, are still continuing in the Saudi city of Jeddah, but unofficially.

He added that the two delegations did not sit at the same table, and only notes were exchanged through mediators, and that the discussion on the truce is proceeding well, with the two parties agreeing that the next truce period will be 5 days, renewable.

He noted that there were still differences over the military arrangements that were supposed to apply following the announcement of the new agreement.

On Thursday, Sudan's military and RSF agreed on the Jeddah Declaration, which includes immediate humanitarian commitments and scheduling for ongoing new direct talks in Saudi Arabia in the hope of a ceasefire.

Country Aid

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the arrival of a Qatari plane carrying 35 tons of medical aid to Sudan, including devices and equipment, provided by the Qatar Fund for Development, Qatar Red Crescent and Qatar Charity.

The statement also indicated the evacuation of 255 Qatari residency holders from Port Sudan airport to Doha, bringing the total evacuated since the start of the events to 1440,<> residents.

Qatari plane carrying medical aid arrives and a new group evacuates from Sudan #Qatar_Foreign Ministry pic.twitter.com/ofl86AaaMD

— Qatar Foreign Ministry (@MofaQatar_AR) May 17, 2023

In a related context, Hassan Hamed, Sudan's permanent representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council, said that what he called the rebellion of the Rapid Support Forces has had serious and unprecedented effects on the humanitarian situation, despite the government's efforts to mitigate these catastrophic effects.

The Sudanese delegate in Geneva stressed what he called the adoption of international guidelines in sending and providing humanitarian aid to those affected by the war in his country.

Also in the humanitarian fallout, the United Nations announced that it needs two billion and 560 million dollars as part of its humanitarian response plan in Sudan.

At a press conference Wednesday in Geneva, Raouf Mazo, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, and Ramesh Rajasingham, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, noted that 220,<> people had become refugees in Egypt, Chad and South Sudan as a result of the month-long fighting in Sudan.

Speakers at the press conference stressed that it is urgent now to support those fleeing Sudan, and the support of their host countries.

The United Nations, in a review of its plan for the country, predicted on Wednesday that "the number of people fleeing Sudan will reach one million this year."

Some 25 million people, representing more than half of Sudan's population, are in need of humanitarian assistance, she said, warning that "the situation in Sudan is rapidly turning into a regional crisis."