(CNN) One of Sudan’s two warring factions has declared a 72-hour ceasefire after nearly a week of bitter fighting, which has killed more than 400 people and forced tens of thousands of refugees to flee the country.
Despite the announcement of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), clashes continued north of the capital on Friday – and there was no confirmation of a ceasefire by the rival Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that the death toll in the country has risen to 413 people and 3,551 have been injured since fighting broke out last Saturday.
A US citizen was also killed in the violence, the US State Department confirmed to CNN on Friday.
At a United Nations briefing in Geneva on Friday, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said the number of casualties had “unsurprisingly… increased”.
At the same briefing, UNICEF spokesman James Elder said at least nine children have been killed and at least 50 injured so far, adding that child casualties “will continue to rise as fighting continues”.
Early Friday morning local time, the RSF announced a ceasefire in a statement on Twitter, which was due to begin at 6 a.m
The truce comes just before the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
“The ceasefire coincides with the blessed Eid al-Fitr … to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens and give them a chance to greet their families,” the RSF said.
SAF leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan released a statement on camera Friday morning expressing his sorrow for the victims of the fighting and praying for a peaceful oath – but he made no mention of a ceasefire.
“The ruin and destruction and the sound of gunfire have left no room for the joy our people deserve in our beloved country, and we are deeply saddened by it,” Burhan said in the statement — his first remarks on camera since the clashes erupted on April 15.
Eyewitnesses spoken to by CNN said fierce fighting was still raging in Khartoum North, an area north of the capital, on Friday.
World leaders and international organizations have urged the RSF and SAF to reach an agreement since the clashes began, but several temporary ceasefires have repeatedly collapsed, with both sides sharing blame for violating the terms.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to leaders of both factions earlier this week and again on Thursday to urge a truce through at least the end of Eid weekend.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday also called for a ceasefire “for at least three days to coincide with Eid al Fitr celebrations to allow civilians trapped in conflict zones to escape and seek medical treatment, food and other essential supplies.”
This April 20 AFPTV video footage capture shows an aerial view of black smoke billowing over Khartoum International Airport amid ongoing fighting.
Hours before the RSF’s announcement, the African Union called for a week-long ceasefire to allow Eid to be observed.
Pleas for a ceasefire have become more urgent in recent days as the death toll mounts. Most hospitals in the capital Khartoum are out of order, many having been attacked by shells; Meanwhile, those still operating are quickly running out of supplies to treat the survivors.
Residents are stranded at home and in shelters without food or water, surrounded by the threat of gunfire and artillery outside.
The fighting could starve millions, the World Food Program (WFP) warned on Thursday.
“Even before the conflict broke out on April 15, record numbers of people were facing hunger in Sudan,” the statement said, adding that the fighting prevented the organization from delivering emergency food to civilians.
evacuation efforts
The death of a US citizen in Sudan was confirmed on Friday by a State Department spokesman. “We are in contact with the family and offer them our deepest condolences on their loss,” the rep told CNN. “Out of respect for the family at this difficult time, we have nothing more to add,” they added.
A ceasefire could provide a crucial window not only for the distribution of aid and medical supplies, but also for foreign governments to reach out to their citizens stranded in the country.
The US Department of Defense said Thursday it was deploying “additional capabilities” near Sudan to secure the US embassy in the country and assist with a possible evacuation if the situation calls for it. It includes hundreds of Marines already in nearby Djibouti, a US defense official told CNN, with planes capable of bringing ground units to secure an embassy.
US President Joe Biden has “authorized the military to move forward with prepositioning forces and to develop options if — and I want to emphasize this now — if an evacuation is required,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday.
Officials told staff on Wednesday that there are an estimated 16,000 American citizens in Sudan, most of whom are dual citizens. Around 500 had contacted the US embassy since fighting broke out, although staff said only about 50 of those people had asked for help.
Some countries have already started the evacuation process, with Japan announcing it would send its Self-Defense Forces to evacuate 60 Japanese nationals, including embassy staff, from Sudan.
South Korea’s defense ministry said on Friday it would dispatch a military transport plane to evacuate its nationals from Sudan, adding that the plane and troops will “monitor the situation from the US military base in Djibouti” as the Khartoum international airport remains closed. It added that all 26 South Koreans in Sudan have been confirmed safe and that their forces would do so “Prioritize evacuation.”
The Sudanese army said Thursday that 177 Egyptian soldiers trapped in the country have been evacuated and brought safely back to Egypt.
Local residents are also fleeing the country in large numbers. Eyewitnesses in Khartoum describe growing queues at bus stops hoping to escape the fighting. And up to 20,000 refugees from the Sudanese region of Darfur have fled to neighboring Chad in the past few days, according to the UN refugee agency.
CNN’s Larry Madowo and Celine Alkhaldi contributed to this report.