Sudan's rival factions agree to three-day ceasefire amid intense evacuations
Smoke is seen rising from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, on April 22, 2023.
The warring parties in Sudan have agreed to a three-day ceasefire starting midnight on Monday, as many countries are racing to evacuate civilians from the battle-scarred African country.
"Following intense negotiation over the past 48 hours, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to implement a nationwide ceasefire starting at midnight on April 24, to last for 72 hours," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday in a written statement.
Previous attempted ceasefires have failed as the brutal fighting, entering a second week, has killed at least 427 people and wounded more than 3,700, according to UN agencies.
Hours before Blinken's announcement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the violence "risks a catastrophic conflagration within Sudan that could engulf the whole region and beyond" and called on UN Security Council members to exert maximum leverage.
In a written statement Monday, the RSF said it had agreed to the truce "in order to open humanitarian corridors, facilitate the movement of citizens and residents, enable them to fulfill their needs, reach hospitals and safe areas, and evacuate diplomatic missions."
Over the weekend, countries have evacuated their diplomats and citizens as fighting raged in densely populated parts of the capital.
Brief lulls in the conflict have allowed foreign civilians to flee Sudan to safety. The current three-day ceasefire, if it endures, might generate a chance to deliver essential resources such as food and medical supplies to those in need.
