Fighting between Sudan’s military and paramilitary forces continued Tuesday evening even after a cease-fire between the parties was meant to come into effect. A World Health Organization report estimates that at least 270 people have been killed so far in the clashes, which have been ongoing for five days.
After efforts by top diplomats, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Sudanese Armed Forces Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo agreed to a 24-hour cease-fire, which was meant to begin at 6 pm on Tuesday. Immediately after the cease-fire was set to go into effect, officials from both sides accused each other of violating the agreement, and the clashes continued.
According to an Associated Press report, one of Khartoum’s hospitals was critically damaged by shelling that took place after the cease-fire was meant to begin. More than half of the hospitals in Khartoum, the capital city, which has seen the worst of the fighting, have now shut down in response to the fighting.
Both the military and the paramilitary have already positioned tens of thousands of troops in Khartoum and its surrounding area, where millions of civilians are sheltering in their homes to avoid violence.