The two factions battling for supremacy in Sudan have agreed to a seven-day truce starting on May 4, 2023, a statement from South Sudan’s foreign ministry in Juba said on Tuesday May 4, 2023.
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The ministry said the deal had been brokered by South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir in a phone conversation. Both sides had agreed “to name their representatives to peace talks to be held at any venue of their choice”, the statement said.
Witnesses in Khartoum reported air strikes, gunfire, and explosions, despite a second extension of a 72-hour cease-fire. Former prime minister Abdalla Hamdok has called on collaborative efforts to end the conflict. Hamdok warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe” if the conflict continued, saying: “This war can lead to a global emergency unless halted immediately.”
It was reported earlier that the country’s warring generals had agreed to send representatives for negotiations, potentially in Saudi Arabia. Volker Perthes, the top United Nations official in the country told Associated Press (AP) on Monday May 1, 2023 that if the talks happened, they would initially focus on establishing a “stable and reliable” ceasefire. However, he warned of challenges in holding the negotiations.
A plane laden with humanitarian aid has landed in Sudan, where deadly clashes have raged for just over two weeks. Neither side has managed to land a decisive blow and the death toll has risen, according to the country’s health ministry, to 528 people.
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Fighting erupted on April 15, 2023 between Sudan military troops loyal to General Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo in a dispute over the RSF’s integration into the military as part of the transition towards civilian rule.
Thousands of civilians have been wounded in the clashes and thousands have left their homes.