Sudan's RSF provide security guarantees for foreigners’ evacuation

CAIRO - Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reaffirmed their full commitment to the US-mediated 72 hour truce with the Sudanese army (SAR) to facilitate humanitarian efforts and the evacuation of foreign nationals.

"We affirm our commitment to a complete ceasefire during the truce period", the RSF said.

According to a French diplomatic source, the RSF have "provided security guarantees" allowing the evacuation operation, named Operation Sagittarius, of French citizens from Sudan.

The Rapid Support Forces said on Sunday they were attacked by aircraft during the evacuation of French nationals from their embassy, passing through Bahri to Omdurman, which endangered the lives of French nationals by injuring one of them and the survival of the rest of the convoy members.

“The Rapid Support Forces indicate that, in full coordination with the French government, the evacuation convoy of French nationals moved this morning from the French embassy and crossed the city of Bahri to Omdurman whereby it was attacked and the aircraft was shot down,” said in a statement on Twitter.

“This flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law and the declared truce was witnessed and attended by members of the French embassy that documented the incident,” it said.

“In the face of this cowardly attack to preserve the safety of the French nationals, the Rapid Support Forces had to return the convoy to the first starting point. The Rapid Support Forces reaffirm their full commitment to the declared armistice and the opening of humanitarian corridors to enable citizens to obtain the necessary services, and to facilitate the movement of foreign nationals to the evacuation areas designated by their governments,” it added.

Fighting erupted between the SAF and the RSF on April 15 and has killed at least 427 people, knocked out hospitals and other services, and turned residential areas into war zones.  

The RSF accused on Tuesday the Sudanese army has violating the ceasefire agreement by continuing to attack Khartoum by planes.

“This confirms the existence of multiple decision-making centers within the coup armed forces and the remnants of the defunct regime. We urge the Sudanese army to respect the ceasefire and its conditions to alleviate the suffering of innocent civilians,” said the RSF in a press release.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the violence in a country that flanks the Red Sea, Horn of Africa and Sahel regions "risks a catastrophic conflagration ... that could engulf the whole region and beyond."