Sudan’s Warring Sides Agree to 72-Hour Truce as US Urges Compliance

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire after approximately 600 people were killed as a result of the conflict between the two parties, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.

“Following intense negotiation over the past 48 hours, the SAF and the RSF have agreed to implement a nationwide ceasefire starting at midnight on April 24, to last for 72 hours,” Blinken said in a statement.

The release further underscored Washington's insistence that the SAF and RSF immediately and fully uphold the ceasefire.

The US will coordinate with regional and international partners, as well as Sudanese civilian stakeholders, to assist in the creation of a committee to oversee the negotiation and implementation of a permanent end to hostilities, the statement said.

Past ceasefire efforts have not fully proven fruitful, but there are high hopes among the international community that should a halt in hostilities hold, it could serve as a starting point for negotiations.

Clashes erupted between warring parties on April 15 after government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launching airstrikes against SAF locations.

With the clashes having intensified, numerous countries have launched evacuation operations of their diplomats, and implemented steps to safely relocate civilians.

To date, some 600 individuals have been killed as a direct result of the clashes, based on figures released by the Sudanese Health Ministry. Earlier Monday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Mohamed al-Gharawy, assistant of Egypt's administrative attache in Sudan, had been killed.