Saudi Arabia and the United States, serving as mediators in the talks, have announced that Sudan’s conflicting parties have reached an agreement for a nationwide ceasefire lasting 24 hours, commencing from 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Saturday. The joint statement issued by the two nations outlined the terms of the ceasefire, indicating that Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have committed to refraining from prohibited actions, such as movements, attacks, aerial operations including the use of aircraft or drones, artillery strikes, reinforcements, and resupplying forces. Both parties have pledged to avoid seeking any military advantage during this period of ceasefire.
In the event of any violations of the ceasefire, the statement warned that the facilitators would be compelled to consider adjourning the ongoing negotiations in Jeddah, aimed at resolving the nearly two-month-long clashes in Sudan.
It is worth noting that previous ceasefire agreements have been broken by both sides. However, a recent truce did allow limited humanitarian aid to be delivered, as confirmed by humanitarian agencies.
The conflict in Sudan has hindered the implementation of a transition towards civilian rule, which had been initiated four years after a popular uprising led to the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir. The disagreement between Sudan’s army and the RSF primarily revolves around the chain of command and military restructuring plans during the transitional period.
