Sudan’s warring factions reached an agreement Saturday on a seven-day ceasefire, US and Saudi mediators announced. Previous attempts to broker a lasting truce have been unsuccessful.
During a meeting held in Jeddah, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces officially agreed to a seven-day ceasefire scheduled to begin on Monday at 9:45 pm local time. Sudan, according to a joint statement released by the United States. and Saudi Arabia. The possibility of extending the cease-fire can be considered if both parties agree.
The joint statement said, “Both parties assured the Saudi and US facilitators of their commitment to refrain from seeking military advantage within a 48-hour notification period after the signing of the agreement and before the start a ceasefire.”
Previous discussions in Jeddah resulted in an agreement between the conflicting sides to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict.
However, the first ceasefire failed as both parties accused each other of violations.
Cease-fire monitoring committee
The US-Saudi statement acknowledged, “it is widely known that the parties have previously declared cease-fires that were not supported.” In contrast, the recent agreement reached in Jeddah was signed by both parties and supported by a ceasefire monitoring mechanism supported by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the international community.
The Monitoring and Coordination Committee will consist of three representatives from the United States and Saudi Arabia, as well as three representatives from each of the involved parties.
tg/sms (AP, Reuters)
