Sudan's warring factions agree on temporary truce

Warring sides in Sudan have reached an agreement for a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire, Saudi Arabia and US said in a joint statement after talks in Jeddah.

Representatives from both army chief Abdel Fattah al Burhan and his former deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo vowed not to seek any military advantage before the truce goes into effect at 9:45 pm Khartoum time [1945 GMT] on May 22, the statement released by the US State Department said on Sunday.

The ceasefire "shall remain in effect for seven days and may be extended with the agreement of both parties," it said.

Past similar ceasefires were not honoured by the warring parties.

Sudan has been mired in turmoil since a conflict broke out between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces [RSF] in mid-April.

Mass deaths and displacements

On Friday, Sudan's military leader Burhan sacked Daglo, giving his title of vice president of the ruling Sovereign Council to former rebel leader Malik Agar, and appointed three allies to top jobs in the military.

The United Nations has warned of a fast-deteriorating humanitarian situation in Africa's third-largest country, where one in three people already relied on aid before the conflict.

Aid groups have said they are unable to provide sufficient assistance in Khartoum, the capital, in the absence of safe passage and security guarantees for staff.

The conflict, which began on April 15, has displaced almost 1.1 million people internally and into neighbouring countries.

Some 705 people have been killed and at least 5,287 wounded, according to the World Health Organization.

The fighting broke out in Khartoum after disputes over plans for the RSF to be integrated into the army and over the future chain of command under an internationally backed deal to shift Sudan towards democracy following decades of conflict-ridden rule.

The fighting has led to a collapse in law. Stocks of food, cash and essentials are rapidly dwindling, and mass looting has hit banks, embassies, factories and aid warehouses.

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Source: TRT World