Warring sides in Sudan sign ‘declaration of commitment to protect the civilians,’ US says
Mike Brest
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The two warring sides in Sudan have agreed to sign a declaration affirming their commitment to protect civilians, according to senior Biden administration officials.
Clashes between the Sudanese Army, led by Abdel Fattah al Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support forces, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, first began in mid-April, with civilians stuck in the crossfire. The World Health Organization has tallied more than 600 people killed and more than 5,000 injured in the fighting.
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The agreement, which was concluded on Thursday, “recognizes the obligations of both sides under international humanitarian and human rights law to facilitate humanitarian action to meet the needs of civilians,” according to an administration official, though this is not a ceasefire.
“This is an affirmation of their obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly with regard to the treatment of civilians and the need to create space for humanitarian to operate,” the official added, noting that the next step would be “a short-term ceasefire as in not a permanent cessation of hostilities.”
The official also said the administration is hoping this agreement will “create some momentum that will force them to create some space for some relief,” though the official said she wouldn’t “expect full compliance, frankly.”
Western countries began evacuating embassy personnel and foreign nationals from the capital of Khartoum, the United States included. Previous ceasefires between the two militaries have not stopped the fighting entirely, which has left the country on the brink of civil war, though some short-term ceasefires have resulted in diminished fighting.
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“The Department of State reports that the U.S. government has assisted in the departure of nearly 1,000 American citizens since the beginning of the crisis,” National Security Council coordinator John Kirby said on May 1. “That includes the departure of hundreds of American citizens over the weekend, by U.S. government-organized convoys to the Port of Sudan.”
There are roughly 16,000 Americans in Sudan, many of which are dual citizens, though the Biden administration has warned that this number is inexact because the State Department does not track Americans living abroad.