A new ceasefire has been agreed in Sudan

Rival military blocs in Sudan on Thursday agreed to extend the ceasefire for another 72 hours. The countries involved in the mediation, the US and Saudi Arabia, have announced this. Nevertheless, according to eyewitness accounts, the fighting continued.

In Sudan, de facto president Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has been fighting against his deputy Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo since April 15 with the help of the army. He is the leader of the influential paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The two generals had taken over the leadership of the country of about 46 million inhabitants through two joint military coups in 2019 and 2021. Experts had warned that the power struggle could fuel other regional conflicts.

A 72-hour ceasefire has been in effect in Sudan since Tuesday. Thursday evening it ended. During this time, thousands of civilians were able to flee, including to Chad and Egypt, and several countries evacuated their nationals and other people from the crisis country. This ceasefire also lasted only sporadically. Both sides accused each other of repeatedly violating the ceasefire. Sudan’s armed forces initially agreed to talks in Juba, the capital of neighboring South Sudan, on Thursday, UN Special Envoy to Sudan Volker Perthes said. The RSF also agreed late in the evening.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted that the US welcomed the announcement that they would extend the ceasefire for another 72 hours. “Together with international and regional partners, we call on the parties to commit to ending the fighting and ensuring unimpeded access for humanitarian aid.” Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary, said: “We are continually working to have U.S. citizens leave Sudan immediately, as the situation could worsen at any time.”

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also confirmed on Twitter that the ceasefire in Sudan has been extended. “The UK demands its full implementation by the generals.” The British evacuation flights are on their way. All UK nationals wishing to leave the country should make their way to the airport as soon as possible to ensure their safety.

The situation is also critical in the West Darfur region. The army announced on Thursday that there were ethnic conflicts in the state. According to reports, there has been violence between the African-born Masalit and the Arab-born groups. The state of West Darfur is located in western Sudan on the border with Chad. Serious ethnic conflict has been raging in the Darfur region for decades. (sda/dpa)