Khartoum: The Sudanese armed forces have agreed to a seven-day humanitarian truce, proposed by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Eastern Africa, from May 4-11, the military said on Wednesday.
“The armed forces express their approval of the [IGAD’s] proposal, based on the principle of an African solution to the problems of the continent, and taking into account the humanitarian aspects of our citizens,” the military said in a statement.
Sudan’s army also continues to consider the US-Saudi ceasefire initiative, the statement read.
“We hope that the rebels [the Rapid Support Forces] will respect the requirements of the proposed truce,” the military said.
On Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry of South Sudan said the leaders of the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Response Forces (RSF) have agreed to the truce from May 4-11. According to the statement, Gen. Abdel Fatah Al Burhan, the Chairman of the Sovereign Council and the commander in chief of the Sudan military, and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo agreed to name their representatives to begin negotiations.
However, Yusuf Izzat, an adviser to RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, said on Tuesday, that the RSF has yet to agree to the truce, however stressing that the RSF does not reject the truce and welcomes all initiatives aimed at resolving the internal conflict in Sudan.
Gen. Brigadier Nabil Abdallah, the Sudanese military spokesman, told Sputnik Tuesday that Saudi-American mediators of the ongoing conflict in Sudan have proposed to hold negotiations between the sides in Saudi Arabia’s city of Jeddah.
On April 15, violent clashes broke out between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the RSF, with the epicenter located in Khartoum. The parties to the conflict have introduced a number of temporary nationwide ceasefires since then, but none has helped in settling the conflict yet.
According to the Sudanese Health Ministry, at least 550 people have been killed in the conflict, and nearly 5,000 have been injured.
