Sudan's paramilitary RSF announces 72-hour truce during Eid

By Rabia İclal Turan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group announced a 72-hour humanitarian truce starting from 6 a.m. local time Friday, saying it coincides with the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

"The truce coincides with the blessed Eid al Fitr...and to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens and give them the opportunity to greet their families," the RSF announced in a statement on Twitter.

In the statement, the RSF affirmed its commitment to a complete cease-fire and warned against "the continuous transgressions of the other party."

Fighting erupted Saturday between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF in the capital Khartoum and its surroundings.

The RSF accused the army of attacking its forces in the south of Khartoum with light and heavy weapons while the military claimed that the paramilitary force was “spreading lies” and labeled it a “rebel” group.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency in what political forces called a "coup."