A fresh ceasefire yesterday took effect in Sudan after intense fighting that saw deadly airstrikes in Khartoum and an exodus of wounded over the border into Chad.
The army, commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has since April 15 been battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, after the two fell out in a power struggle.
Multiple truces have been agreed and broken during the conflict, including after the US slapped sanctions on both generals following the collapse of a previous ceasefire attempt at the end of last month.
Photo: Reuters
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United States of America announce the agreement of representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces on a ceasefire throughout Sudan for a period of 72 hours,” a Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late on Saturday.
The ceasefire took effect at 6am yesterday, the mediators said, adding that the two sides had agreed to refrain from attacks and allow freedom of movement and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
One hour into the truce, witnesses in Khartoum said the situation was “calm.”
“We want a full ceasefire,” said Sami Omar, who lives in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman.
“A truce is not sufficient for us to return to our lives. They may stop fighting, but the RSF will not leave the homes [they occupy] and passing through checkpoints is just as difficult,” he said.
Before the latest truce, witnesses said airstrikes had intensified in the capital in the past few days.
On Saturday, warplanes struck residential districts of Khartoum, killing “17 civilians, including five children,” a citizens’ support committee said.
Residents had earlier reported airstrikes around the city’s southern Yarmouk district — home to a weapons manufacturing and arms depot complex where the RSF claimed “full control” earlier this month.
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