Sudan’s warring factions agreed to a one-day cease-fire on Friday after intervention from Riyadh and Washington, according to Saudi official media.
The two nations declared that “representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a 24-hour countrywide ceasefire” beginning Saturday at 6 a.m. local time (0400 GMT).
The opposing troops agreed to suspend all hostilities, combat, and position reinforcement, it stated.
The cease-fire also allows for “unrestricted movement and delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout the country.”
Many rounds of peace discussions between the two parties have taken place in Jeddah since the crisis began in mid-April, culminating in a number of fragile and brief cease-fire agreements.
The dispute over the incorporation of the paramilitary organisation into the armed forces, which was a fundamental condition of Sudan’s transition deal with political groups, exploded into a full-fledged conflict on April 15, when violence began in the capital Khartoum.
Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 20, 2021, when the military deposed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and established a state of emergency, a move that political groups condemned as a “coup.”
The transitional phase, which began in August 2019 with President Omar al-Bashir’s removal, was supposed to culminate with elections in early 2024.
Millions of people are currently suffering a humanitarian calamity and require aid.