KHARTOUM, Sudan
The Sudanese army on Tuesday agreed to a temporary cease-fire with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“The Sudanese Armed Forces will abide by the cease-fire for 24 hours starting at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), in response to calls from the international community,” army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told CNN.
Earlier Tuesday, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said that he agreed to a 24-hour truce after speaking with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“The RSF reaffirms its approval of a 24-hour armistice to ensure the safe passage of civilians and the evacuation of the wounded,” he added.
In response, the Sudanese army initially rejected the idea, saying it was not aware of any coordination with international mediators about the cease-fire.
“The call for this truce by the rebels at the moment aims to cover up their heavy defeat,” it said.
According to a US State Department statement, Blinken made separate phone calls with both al-Burhan and Dagalo.
Blinken underscored the urgency of reaching a cease-fire to permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance and to allow the international community in the capital Khartoum to make sure its presence is secure, it added.
Armed clashes continued for the fourth day between the Sudanese army and RSF fighters in Khartoum and its surrounding areas.
More than 180 people have been killed and 1,800 others injured in the ongoing violence, according to UN figures.
A disagreement between the two military rivals regarding military and security reform, which envisages the full participation of the RSF in the army, has turned into a hot conflict in the last few months.
The dispute between the two sides came to the surface last week, when the army said recent movements by the RSF had occurred without coordination and were illegal.
Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a “coup.”
Sudan’s transitional period, which started in August 2019, was scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.
* Writing by Ikram Kouachi.
