Fire in Khartoum; Clashes Over Control of Arms Factory Continue

A military complex in southern Khartoum caught fire on Wednesday as the Sudanese army had been engaged in intense clashes with the 'Rapid Support Forces' for weeks to defend this complex. According to witnesses, the paramilitary group known as the 'Rapid Support Forces' attacked the Yarmouk military complex, which houses an arms factory, on Tuesday during the eighth week of a power struggle with the army. The group released videos on Wednesday claiming to have seized a warehouse full of weapons and ammunition as well as several entry points to the complex. Witnesses reported that the army used airstrikes to repel their advance. Since the expiration of a 12-day ceasefire between the army and this group on June 3, following repeated violations, fighting has intensified in three main areas of Khartoum, the capital. Local activists stated that these fires were due to the bombing of fuel and gas warehouses, and homes in the area were hit by bullets. The Rapid Support Forces quickly seized parts of the capital after the war began in Khartoum on April 15. According to Reuters, this group may face challenges with ammunition and fuel storage as the conflict prolongs. Four years after the uprising that ousted the powerful President Omar al-Bashir, the violence has derailed the transition to civilian rule. The army and the Rapid Support Forces, which staged a coup together in 2021, have disagreed over control of the army command and military restructuring plans during the transition. Efforts for a ceasefire in Sudan have been fruitless; clashes have escalated in Khartoum. The United States and Saudi Arabia have called for an extension of the ceasefire in Sudan. Sporadic clashes in Sudan jeopardize the continuation of the ceasefire. Sporadic clashes in Sudan followed the signing of a short-term ceasefire agreement.