Sudan’s warring parties have agreed on a seven-day ceasefire late on Saturday as conflict that has thrown the country into chaos and displaced over a million people reached its sixth consecutive week.
The cessation of hostilities will go into effect at 9:45 p.m. Khartoum time on Monday, according to a joint statement by the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Both Jeddah and Washington have been at the forefront of peace talks to bring the conflict in Sudan to an end.
Recently agreed ceasefire could hold as the warring factions violated their terms and conditions.
To prevent the new ceasefire accord from collapsing, negotiators said the truce will be enforced by the US—Saudi and international-supported monitoring mechanisms, the statement added.
The temporary peace deal also emphasizes the need for distribution of humanitarian assistance, restoring essential services and withdrawing forces from hospitals and essential public facilities
Reacting to the peace deal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “It is past time to silence the guns and allow unhindered humanitarian access. I implore both sides to uphold this agreement — the eyes of the world are watching.”
The fighting between the Sudanese army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces which began on April 15, has displaced about 1.1 million people internally and into neighbouring countries.
No fewer than 705 people have been killed and at least 5,287 injured, according to the World Health Organization.
Several countries have also evacuated their diplomats, officials and millions of their citizens away from the war-torn African country.