Armed Faction Using Military Force Declares Ceasefire for 72 Hours

The Sudanese government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Africa, who have been engaged in armed conflict for over two months, have entered a three-day ceasefire, AFP reported on the 18th (local time).

Black smoke is rising in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The mediators, the United States and Saudi Arabia, announced in a statement that the government forces and the RSF agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire starting from 6 a.m. that day. The statement added that both sides agreed to refrain from attacks during the ceasefire period and to ensure the movement of civilians and the delivery of relief supplies.

On the day before the ceasefire, 17 people, including five children, were killed in an airstrike in the capital, Khartoum. In West Darfur, where attacks on civilians by the RSF and Arab militias intensified, hundreds of injured people fled across the border into Chad. MSF added that more than 600 gunshot wound patients arrived at a hospital for Sudanese refugees in Chad over the past three days.

The Sudanese government forces and the RSF entered armed conflict on April 15 after disputes over organizational integration and command of the unified organization following the transfer to civilian rule. Over two months of conflict between the two sides have resulted in more than 2,000 deaths, about 5,000 injuries, and approximately 2.2 million displaced persons.

The United Nations, the United States, and the international community pressured the warlords to agree to a ceasefire to enable humanitarian aid for civilians. Although the Sudanese government forces and the RSF promised ceasefires several times, they repeatedly broke those promises. However, during the 24-hour ceasefire on the 10th and 11th, both sides stopped fighting completely for the first time.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.