Ghost City… Eid Al-Adha Under the Conflict in Sudan

The capital city of Khartoum in Sudan has transformed into a ghost city amid the ongoing and continuous three-month-long Sudanese war. The Sudanese people continue to suffer and face disasters.

As Eid Al-Adha approaches and Muslims around the world celebrate, the Sudanese face an Eid without joy or sacrifices. The city has become a ghost city with no place for humanity.

Missing the Eid Celebration

According to media reports, Khartoum lacks any semblance of the usual Eid celebrations, which used to be characterized by crowded markets, and the scent of livestock prepared for slaughter. Instead, the city is filled with the stench of death and the desperate attempts of its inhabitants to find safe ways to leave for other regions or areas that may be less dangerous amidst the raining bullets in the heart of Khartoum, without distinguishing between military personnel and civilians.

The night of Eid has turned into a true tragedy, as the intense shelling forces residents to stay in their homes. The cries of hungry and thirsty children can be heard in some neighborhoods.

The clashes have affected the neighborhoods of East Khartoum, Al-Amarat, Al-Sahafa, Jabra, and South Al-Hazm, as well as large areas in the cities of Omdurman and Khartoum Bahri.

Eid Ceasefire… But!

The commander of the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, announced a unilateral ceasefire in the country for the upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday, on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha. However, cases of self-defense are excluded from the ceasefire, as the army forces have not declared a ceasefire yet.

Hamidati said in an audio recording on his Facebook page: “We announce from our side a unilateral ceasefire on the Day of Arafah and the first day of Eid Al-Adha, except in cases of self-defense. We hope that these days will be an opportunity for tolerance and reconciliation among all components of our people.”

Cancellation of Eid Prayer for the Second Time in Sudan

For the second time after Eid Al-Fitr, several mosques have canceled the Eid prayer amidst a significant increase in civilian casualties, estimated by independent sources to be more than 300 dead and about 4,000 injured since the start of the clashes.

The clashes renewed in the early hours of Thursday around the headquarters of the General Command of the Armed Forces in Khartoum and various areas of the Sudanese capital, in addition to the neighborhoods of Kafouri and Saleha in Omdurman.

Suffering for Three Months

Sudanese journalist Dalia Elias says that the Sudanese people have been suffering for over three months, and Sudan, which used to export Eid sacrifices to the Arab world, has become the victim of war.

Elias confirmed that despite working towards a temporary ceasefire during Eid, the Sudanese people are skeptical. How many ceasefires have been announced in the media without ever happening? Sudan is now waiting for more bloodshed.