The United States and Saudi Arabia, on Sunday (May 28) called for an extension of the seven-day ceasefire deal in Sudan, a day prior to its expiration. This comes as there was ease in heavy fighting following the implementation of the Washington and Riyadh brokered ceasefire deal between the warring Sudanese army and the paramilitary faction Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
US-Saudi Arabia about the extension
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia and the US-brokered talks in Jeddah led to a week-long ceasefire deal, which is set to expire at 9:45 pm (local time) Monday. During this time, the two countries have been remotely monitoring the situation in Sudan and if both factions were adhering to the ceasefire, which has been repeatedly violated.
In a joint statement, Washington and Riyadh called on the leaders of the warring factions to “to continue discussions to reach agreement on extending the ceasefire”. It added, “While imperfect, an extension nonetheless will facilitate the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese people.”
Warring factions discuss possibility of an extension
The RSF said it is ready to discuss the possibility of an extension while it will continue to monitor the truce, in order to “test the seriousness and commitment of the other party” and it will then decide whether to proceed with the renewal of the agreement or not. Meanwhile, the Sudanese army has also said that it was discussing the possibility of an extension, as per Reuters.
What is happening in Sudan?
The fighting which began over a month ago has turned the Sudanese capital city of Khartoum, into a battlefield for the two warring factions, which has since spread across the nation. The conflict has also displaced over 1.3 million people. According to the United Nations’ children agency, over 700 people have been killed out of which 190 were children, and 6,000 others were injured.
While the US and Saudi Arabia-brokered deal brought some respite in the heavy fighting, sporadic clashes and air strikes have carried on across Sudan, as per media reports and eyewitnesses.
Furthermore, UN and aid groups have said that despite the truce they continued to struggle to procure bureaucratic approvals and security guarantees to transport aid and staff to Khartoum and other places.
According to a report by the Associated Press, residents have reported sporadic clashes and army aircraft were seen flying over the city on Sunday in parts of Omdurman.
Meanwhile, the detention of Dr. Alaa Eldin Awad Nogoud, a prominent surgeon and pro-democracy activist, in Omdurman, has sparked outrage among medical and rights groups in and outside of Sudan, as per the media report.
A group of armed men stormed Nogoud’s home Sunday and detained him, said Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate, adding that he has been taken to an unknown location. The armed men claimed to be members of the military and the intelligence service, said Forces of Freedom and Change, the pro-democracy coalition.
Recently, the fighting has also spread to the capital of North Darfur State, El Fashir, where one hospital reported three deaths and 26 injuries on Saturday, including children, as per the Darfur Bar Association, an activist group.
(With inputs from agencies)
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