24th April, 2023
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The United States has said the warring factions in Sudan have agreed for a 72-hour ceasefire beginning from midnight of today.
US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in a Tweet on Monday said the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), after intense negotiations had agreed for a ceasefire.
He said the US welcomed such commitment to work with partners and stakeholders for permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements.
Blinken tweeted: “Following intense negotiations, the SAF and RSF have agreed to implement and uphold a 72-hour nationwide ceasefire starting midnight, April 24.
“We welcome their commitment to work with partners and stakeholders for permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements.”
Intense fighting between the SAF and RSF has led to the death of over 400 people in Sudan, crippling the economy of the already troubled nation.
An armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan began on 15 April 2023, when clashes broke out across the country, mainly in the capital city of Khartoum and the Darfur region.
As of 23 April, more than 420 people have been killed and more than 3,700 injured.
The fighting began with attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on key government sites. Airstrikes, artillery and heavy gunfire were reported across Sudan, including in Khartoum.
As of 23 April 2023, both RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and Sudan’s de facto leader and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan claimed control of several key government sites, including the general military headquarters, the Presidential Palace, Khartoum International Airport, Burhan’s official residence, and the SNBC headquarters.