The new ceasefire, which comes after several prior agreements that have been routinely broken in Sudan, will start at 9:45 p.m. (1945 GMT) on Monday, according to a joint statement from the US and Saudi Arabia.
After discussions in Jeddah, the statement noted that the ceasefire “shall remain in effect for seven days and may be extended with the agreement of both parties.”
Since violence started five weeks ago, many truces have been broken, the Saudi foreign ministry admitted in a statement that was released by the official Saudi Press Agency early on Sunday.
“Unlike previous ceasefires, the Agreement reached in Jeddah was signed by the parties and will be supported by a US-Saudi and international-supported ceasefire monitoring mechanism,” the statement read.
Residents of Khartoum, who had been hiding from violent urban fighting for weeks amid critically short food and resource supplies, weren’t optimistic that this time would be any different.
Hussein Mohammed, who remained in Khartoum North, hiding in place with his ill mother even as their neighborhood grew deserted, noted that “they have announced truces that they have not held to before.”
He told AFP that since the violence began on April 15, his mother has been unable to attend her regular doctor’s appointments. “We hope that this time mediators can monitor that the ceasefire is implemented,” he said.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by former Burhan deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, are engaged in combat with the Sudanese army, which is under the command of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
During the weeks of fierce warfare, over a million people have been displaced, over 1,000 people have died, and millions more only have irregular access to water, power, or medication.
previous alliances
The war-torn western area of Darfur has witnessed some of the deadliest violence, along with the capital.
In El-Geneina, West Darfur, a store owner named Adam Issa declared, “We do not trust the warring sides.” “Every time they declare a truce, the combat resumes. We prefer a long-lasting truce over a brief one.
The previous despot Omar al-Bashir unleashed the dreaded Janjaweed militia, which served as the inspiration for the RSF, in 2003 to quell an uprising by ethnic minority groups, and the region is still feeling the effects of that battle today.
Following Bashir’s removal in 2019, the warring generals worked together to overthrow a civilian administration in October 2021, derailing the country’s move toward democracy.
Burhan served as the leader of the governing Sovereign Council, while Daglo served as his deputy. However, their marriage of convenience subsequently fell apart, and their power struggle resulted in physical altercations.
On Friday, Burhan formally fired Daglo from his position and replaced him as vice president of the council with Malik Agar, a former rebel commander.
Agar declared in a statement on Saturday that he was committed to working to “end the war” and push for discussions.
“Sudan’s stability can only be restored by a professional and unified army,” he said, speaking directly to Daglo, whose most recent dispute with Burhan concerned the RSF’s inclusion in the regular army.
Since the battle began, Burhan and Daglo have not talked to one another; instead, they have traded allegations through the media.
Burhan refers to the RSF as a “rebel militia” and claims that foreign “mercenaries” are flooding the country to help Daglo. Daglo, in turn, considers Burhan a “criminal” who wants to restore Bashir’s military-Islamist rule.
Need now
Doctors in Khartoum have regularly denounced the bombing of hospitals that have been targeted by both the RSF’s artillery and the air force’s fighter planes.
Many people have reported coming home to discover paramilitary troops occupying their homes after accusing RSF militants of massive break-ins and looting in heavily populated neighborhoods.
For weeks, civilians and relief organizations have appealed with both sides to protect humanitarian entrances so that desperately needed aid might enter.
Access to food is becoming more challenging due to the closure of the majority of banks and the severe fuel shortages.
Alarm bells have been rung in what was already one of the world’s poorest nations as warehouses and food manufacturers have been robbed, assaulted, and set on fire.
More than half of the population, or 25 million people, are in need of humanitarian assistance right now, which is the greatest amount the UN has ever identified in the nation.
According to the UN, a protracted conflict will force a million people into neighboring countries and increase food insecurity for millions more, which analysts predict is inevitable.
Volker Perthes, the UN’s special representative for Sudan, took a flight to New York on Saturday. On Monday, he will inform the Security Council there.