Seven day ceasefire agreed in Sudan

According to the US government, the warring parties in Sudan agreed to a seven-day ceasefire and sealed it with their signatures for the first time. The ceasefire aims to give people in the fighting-torn country access to humanitarian aid, the State Department in Washington said. The ceasefire, brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia, is scheduled to take effect on Monday night (Sudanese local time).

The parties to the conflict also agreed to withdraw military forces from hospitals and other key public facilities during the specified period, the statement said. The agreement was signed in the port city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, by representatives of both parties, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said via Twitter.

“It is known that both sides previously announced ceasefires that were broken,” Washington said. Unlike the previous ceasefire, however, the Jeddah agreement was signed. In addition, this time a control mechanism will be created, supported by the USA and Saudi Arabia, among others, to denounce violations of the ceasefire. “I urge both sides to abide by this agreement – the eyes of the world are watching,” warned Blinken. After the seven days, the agreement can be extended if the conflicting parties agree.

In the Horn of Africa country, a long power struggle violently intensified on April 15. The army commanded by de facto president Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is fighting the paramilitary forces of his vice president Mohammed Hamdan Daglo. The two generals seized power together in 2021, but later split.