The United States determined the Sudanese army used chemical weapons in the country’s civil war last year and will impose new sanctions on Sudan beginning on or around June 6, the State Department said (State)
Sudan’s government responded that the measure “lacks any moral or legal basis” (Reuters)
The announcement did not specify which weapons were used or where; unnamed U.S. officials told the New York Times in January that Sudan’s army appeared to have used chlorine gas in remote parts of the country (NYT)
Sudan Military Announces Khartoum “Completely Free” of RSF
The General Command of the Sudanese Armed Forces announced that Khartoum state is now “completely free of rebels,” following weeks of heavy fighting with the RSF; the statement said the army has regained full control over Khartoum, Omdurman, and Khartoum North (Al Jazeera)
Sudan’s Military Names PM
The head of Sudan’s army appointed a prime minister for the first time since civil war broke out in 2023; the previous prime minister had stepped down in 2022 (AP)
Appointee Kamil al-Taib Idris is a former UN official and Sudanese presidential candidate (Reuters)
It was not immediately clear how much authority he would have, but a top African Union (AU) official welcomed the appointment and said it supported efforts to restore democratic governance in Sudan (Sudan Tribune)
RSF Drone Strikes Cause Blackout in Khartoum
The drone strikes hit three power stations near Omdurman in Khartoum state; this incident represents the latest of extended blackouts throughout the country, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has ramped up drone strikes against power stations, dams, and other critical infrastructure on territory controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) (BBC)
UN Secretary-General Calls Bombardment of Port Sudan “Alarming”
The city is Sudan’s temporary administrative capital and a refuge for displaced people; it has been serving as an aid hub, but the UN humanitarian service suspended flights on May 4 due to worsening conflict conditions, including a series of drone attacks (UN)
Sudan-UAE split
Sudan’s government said it will cut diplomatic ties with the UAE, accusing it of arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF); the UAE denies that allegation (BBC)
RSF Forces Bomb Port Sudan for Third Consecutive Day
RSF drones struck Port Sudan’s airport and a nearby army base for the third consecutive day, intensifying their offensive on the government’s eastern command post (Guardian)
The bombs are hitting civilian sites such as a hospital and potentially hampering the distribution of humanitarian aid in Sudan’s temporary administrative capital (NYT)
ICJ Dismisses Sudan Case
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) dismissed a case in which Sudan’s government accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of fueling genocide in Darfur by arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces; the court did not rule on the merits of the allegations but rather said it did not have jurisdiction to evaluate the case (DW)
When the UAE joined the ICJ in 2005, it lodged a “reservation” to a clause allowing countries to sue each other (RFI)
Meanwhile, RSF forces launched a second drone strike on Port Sudan’s fuel infrastructure in as many days, damaging storage tanks and expanding their air assault campaign on the city (Reuters)
RSF Launches First-Ever Attack on Port Sudan
RSF paramilitaries carried out their first assault on Port Sudan, targeting military sites with drones and shelling in a bold challenge to army control of the de facto capital (France24)
Separately, Sudanese authorities accused the RSF of killing over three hundred civilians in al-Nahud during a multi-day rampage involving executions, burning of homes, and the use of mass graves (The New Arab)
RSF Drone Strike Hits Fuel Depot Near Eritrean Border
A drone operated by the RSF struck Kassala Airport’s fuel depot near the Eritrean border, marking the group’s first air attack in Sudan’s far eastern region (The New Arab)
RSF Shells Sudan’s Presidential Palace
Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shelled the presidential palace in central Khartoum using long-range artillery from their position in al-Salha, marking their second attack on the capital in a week as they contest army control over key government sites (AllAfrica)
Meanwhile, the RSF seized control of al-Nahud, a strategic city in West Kordofan, killing nineteen people and injuring thirty-seven, while looting markets and homes in a move that strengthens their push toward Darfur’s capital, El-Fasher (Al Jazeera)
UAE Seizes Munitions Bound for Sudan’s Army
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seized munitions slated to be illegally transferred to Sudan’s army, state media reported; Sudan’s army rejected the Emirati state media report and is accusing the UAE of arming their rivals, the paramilitaries, in a case at the International Court of Justice (Reuters)
The news came after Reuters said the UN was reviewing reports of weapons originally exported to the UAE being found on Sudanese paramilitary convoys (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Sudan’s General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan named Dafallah al-Haj Ali as acting prime minister, solidifying army control over the civilian government (Reuters)
UN Probes UAE Links to Sudan Weapons
A UN panel monitoring sanctions in Sudan is investigating how ammunition sent from Bulgaria to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was found in a convoy for Sudanese paramilitary fighters, according to documents seen by Reuters; when asked about the ammunition, the UAE referred back to a previous UN panel report that mentioned the UAE as peacekeepers (Reuters)
RSF Accused of War Crimes After Executing Thirty-One Civilians
The RSF executed dozens in a civilian neighborhood in Omdurman, a major city adjacent to the capital Khartoum, killing thirty-one people, including women and children, the largest documented mass killing in the region; the Sudan Doctors Network accused the paramilitary group of war crimes, citing the deliberate targeting of civilians (The New Arab)
Sudan Urges Kenyan MPs to Restrain Ruto over RSF Support Allegations
Sudan’s transitional government formally requested Kenyan parliamentarians to pressure President William Ruto to clarify or retract alleged support for the RSF, amid growing tensions between Khartoum and Nairobi over accusations of external meddling (Eastleigh Voice)
Meanwhile, the UN Special Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, met with Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Port Sudan to urge a renewed commitment to ceasefire talks (Eastleigh Voice)
Sudan Doctors: RSF Killed Seventy-Four Civilians in West Kordofan
Medical sources reported that RSF fighters killed at least seventy-four civilians during a series of attacks in West Kordofan, targeting several villages and committing mass executions and looting (Middle East Monitor)
The accusations came as a drone attack struck a displacement camp in North Darfur, killing at least eleven civilians and injuring many others; Sudanese authorities blamed the RSF for the strike (Reuters)
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme announced it would cut food assistance for millions in Sudan due to severe funding shortages (Reuters)
Sudan Army Says Sixty RSF Fighters Killed in Battle for North Darfur City
Sudan’s army announced it had killed sixty RSF fighters during clashes over control of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur (Middle East Monitor)
Dozens Killed in Latest Attack on Darfur
More than thirty civilians have died following another artillery attack by the RSF on El-Fasher in western Darfur; local witnesses reported that the attack targeted residential buildings and open markets (Al Jazeera)
Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur as Fire Breaks Out in Major Refugee Camp
A massive fire engulfed parts of a displacement camp in Darfur following continued RSF shelling, destroying shelters and aid infrastructure as thousands fled while many others remained trapped by ongoing attacks; meanwhile, at least fifty-seven were killed amid ongoing clashes between RSF and the Sudanese army in the besieged Darfur city of El-Fasher (Al Jazeera;Africa News;Arab News)
RSF Commander Declares Rival Government
Yesterday, Rapid Security Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo declared the establishment of a “Government of Peace and Unity” to rival the Sudanese army (France24)
The statement came as the United Kingdom’s efforts to establish a contact group for peace feel through (The Guardian)
However, the European Union and its member countries pledged some $590 million in aid at a diplomatic conference held in London, while the United Kingdom pledged more than $150 million for the coming year (Deutsche Welle)
G7 Calls for Ceasefire on War’s Anniversary
G7 foreign ministers marked the second anniversary of Sudan’s war with a joint call for a ceasefire, humanitarian corridors, and accountability for war crimes; they emphasized protecting civilians and stopping external arms flows (Reuters)
Armed Fighters Loot Hospital in Upper Nile State
Dozens of armed men looted a hospital run by Médecins Sans Frontières in Ulang, Upper Nile state, forcing the suspension of medical services; the attack has left the area without a functioning health facility (The East African)
UAE Accused of Continued Arms Shipments
A leaked UN expert report cited new evidence of arms shipments from the UAE to the RSF, despite embargoes; meanwhile, a communications blackout imposed by the RSF in Darfur deepened confusion about the scale of atrocities, with fears that mass killings at Zamzam remain underreported (Guardian;Guardian)
Displacement in Darfur Refugee Camp
As Sudan’s war crosses into its third year, up to four hundred thousand people were displaced from the Zamzam refugee camp during its takeover by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the UN International Organization for Migration said; the RSF took control of the camp Sunday following four days of fighting that left hundreds dead (Reuters)
Hundreds of Thousands Displaced as Zamzam Camp Emptied
An estimated four hundred thousand people were forced to flee Zamzam camp following the RSF attack; eyewitnesses described people walking for days to escape shelling and hunger, while aid agencies warned of the total collapse of services in North Darfur (DW)