The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, which has been fighting fiercely with the Sudanese army since last weekend, has unilaterally declared a ceasefire on the occasion of Eid, which begins today.
The ceasefire would come into effect at 06:00 this morning (local time, the same as in the Netherlands) and should last at least 72 hours. “In this way, citizens can safely visit their families via corridors,” the RSF said in a press statement. Nothing is said about who should provide that security and where the corridors run.
The RSF’s opponent, the Sudanese army, has not yet responded to the unilaterally declared truce. The DPA news agency, among others, reports that fighting is still going on in the capital Khartoum. On Wednesday, the parties agreed on a ceasefire that was almost immediately violated.
Army does not want to negotiate
The Sudanese army said yesterday that it had no intention of negotiating with the RSF, and that the fighting would only end if the militia surrendered. “There are no armed forces outside the military system,” the army said in a press statement. Head of State and General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appeared on television early this morning, but did not mention a ceasefire. The military leader did state that he still intends to hand over power to a civilian government. However, he did not name a date.
Since the two sides clashed last weekend, at least 330 people have been killed, mostly in the capital Khartoum and the western region of Darfur.
- Fear in western region of Sudan: ‘No lack of weapons and militias in Darfur’
- Eyewitnesses report Sudan file violation; The Netherlands is preparing for evacuation
- What you need to know about the outbreak of violence in Sudan
