The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Sudan have declared a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire beginning at 6 a.m. local time on Friday. They claim that this coincides with the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the conclusion of the fasting month of Ramadan.
The RSF stated in a statement on Twitter that the ceasefire “coincides with the blessed Eid al Fitr…and to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens and give them the opportunity to greet their families.”
The RSF issued a statement in which it reaffirmed its dedication to a total cease-fire and issued a warning against “the continuous transgressions of the other party.”
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF engaged in combat on Saturday in the city of Khartoum and its vicinity.
The RSF accused the army of attacking its forces in the south of Khartoum with light and heavy weapons while the military claimed that the paramilitary force was “spreading lies” and labeled it a “rebel” group. 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 what political forces called a “coup.”