After days of being confined inside by violence between the army and a rival paramilitary organization, many residents in Khartoum and the neighboring city of Omdurman came from their houses to seek food and water, waiting at bakeries or grocery stores. Some inspected wrecked or looted businesses or houses.
In Omdurman, people waited in line for basic necessities.
“People are helpless, they queue for bread, they queue for benzene. There is no fuel, there is no bread or water,” said Fath al-Rahman, a resident of Umdurman.
Still, gunfire and explosions could be heard in the city, though residents said clashes were in more limited pockets, mainly around the military’s headquarters and the Republican Palace in central Khartoum and around bases in Omdurman across the Nile River.
“There’s still fighting in Bahri district, people can’t find water and they drink from the river. We need to reduce the struggle of the people” said resident Faisal Mohamed.
With the status of any truce uncertain, many took advantage of the opportunity to join the tens of thousands who have flowed out of the capital in recent days, hoping to avoid the crossfire between Sudan’s two top generals’ forces.
Since April 15, the generals’ fight for dominance has pushed the population to the brink of collapse.
Food is becoming more difficult to procure, energy has been cut off in much of the capital and other cities, and several hospitals have closed.
Multiple relief organisations have been forced to halt operations, a devastating blow in a country where one-third of the 46 million-strong population depends on humanitarian help.
Many Sudanese fear that after the international evacuations of foreigners, which began on Sunday, are done, the army and its opposing Rapid Support Forces will expand their battle.
