Heavy Fighting Continues in Khartoum, Setting Fuel Facility Ablaze

Facts

• Following the expiration of a US-Saudi brokered ceasefire last week between Sudan's warring sides, fighting has intensified in the capital of Khartoum in the last week, with heavy fighting currently taking place around the strategic Yarmouk military complex in the south of the city.¹
• On Wednesday, fighting at the Yarmouk complex resulted in a massive fire breaking out, as the complex contains large fuel and gas depots. Local activists reported that the depot had been bombed, with nearby houses also being hit by stray bullets and shelling.²
• The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Wednesday posted videos on social media allegedly showing its fighters at least partially in control of the Yarmouk complex. The group claims to have captured a warehouse filled with weapons and ammunition, as well as several entry points to the site.²
• The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) responded to the RSF's advance on the Yarmouk complex with airstrikes, according to the RSF and witnesses. The SAF denied that the RSF had fully captured the site, with the situation reportedly remaining fluid.³
• The current conflict in Sudan started in mid-April between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's SAF and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Heavy fighting erupted in Khartoum, killing hundreds of civilians, with neither side gaining the upper hand to date.⁴
• According to the UN, the fighting has displaced nearly 2M people, with more than 470K fleeing to other countries.⁴

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Reuters, ³Middle East Eye, and ⁴Arab News.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New York Times. Since the eruption of violence in Sudan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has worked hard to stamp out violence, bring about a peaceful solution, and provide safe passage for humanitarian aid. The US is doing its part in enabling diplomatic resolution and committing itself to supporting refugees until a ceasefire or permanent agreement is reached.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by AL. Though the US and Saudi Arabia brokered a ceasefire, it's undeniable that Washington has significant responsibility for the fighting in Sudan. The US failed to rein in the country's top generals when mounting tensions between forces led by Burhan and Dagalo indicated that a prolonged conflict was likely to erupt. Facilitating a truce is the least US leaders can do for the region, given this negligence.
• Cynical narrative, as provided by NPR Online News. Each warring side in Sudan is still battling for supremacy over the country, which indicates they're in no way serious about these ceasefires or peace talks. If the two continue to see each other as an existential threat, it will be impossible to find the middle ground necessary to stop the fighting and prevent the nation from being destroyed.