Sudan’s army says committed to cease-fire with paramilitary RSF

By Bahram Abdel Moneim

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) – The Sudanese army said Sunday that it is committed to a 7-day cease-fire with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.

The cease-fire deal was reached between the two military rivals on Saturday during their face-to-face talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

The army said that the cease-fire will come into force on May 22.

“The Armed Forces announce its commitment to the agreement and hope that the rebel militia will abide by it,” the army added in a statement.

According to the statement, the agreement is limited to “a temporary military cease-fire, freedom of movement for civilians, and protecting them from violence and violations.”

There was no comment from the RSF on the army’s statement.

At least 850 civilians have been killed and more than 3,300 injured in fighting between the army and the RSF since April 15, according to local medics.

After the first face-to-face talks in Saudi Arabia, the army and the RSF signed a declaration of commitment to protect civilians in Sudan on May 11. Despite the agreement, clashes continued between the two military rivals, particularly in the capital of Khartoum.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the army and the RSF over the paramilitary group’s integration into the armed forces, a key condition of Sudan's transition agreement with political groups.

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 a move decried by political forces as a "coup."

Sudan's transitional period, which started in August 2019 after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir, had been scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi