Sudan conflict: A 7-day ceasefire starts on Monday

 A 7-day ceasefire signed by Sudan’s warring parties started on Monday. Under the truce, the two sides promised to stop their forces from occupying new areas in Sudan.

The Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces agreed on a 7-day ceasefire on Saturday. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States confirmed the news late on Saturday.

The representatives of the Sudanese warring parties— the Sudanese Armed Forces controlled by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan — started talks about the Sudanese conflict in Jeddah, a Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea two weeks ago.

The US and Saudi Arabia said in a statement, “Both parties have conveyed to the Saudi and US facilitators their commitment not to seek military advantage during the 48-hour notification period after signing the agreement and prior to the start of the ceasefire.”

The short-term ceasefire is due to take effect on Monday at 9:45 pm local time in Sudan. Under the ceasefire, the two sides agreed to continuous lifesaving assistance for civilians in Sudan. They also agreed not to seize critical infrastructure like electricity, fuel and water installations.

The two Sudanese rivals also signed a pact to protect civilians. However, they refused to stop fighting. The fighting between the two parties has already led to a mounting death toll and a vast displacement of people.

The previous ceasefire between the two parties failed due to violations. This time, the US and Saudi Arabia agreed to establish a monitoring committee to make sure that the ceasefire terms are not being violated. 

Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State, urged both parties to respect the ceasefire this time. He also called for continuous delivery of humanitarian aid for the millions of Sudanese people.