The U.N. envoy for Sudan, Volker Perthes has appealed to the country’s warring parties to honor a seven-day cease-fire agreement reached in Saudi Arabia.

He warned of the growing ethnic dimension to the fighting, saying it risks engulfing Sudan in a prolonged conflict .

The growing ethnicisation of the conflict risks engulfing the country in a prolonged conflict, with implications for the region,” Mr Perthes said.

“In West Darfur, clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces spiralled into ethnic violence on April 24.

“Tribal militias joined the fight and civilians took up arms to defend themselves.”

Such situations have only grown in recent weeks, the envoy warned.

Volker Perthes told the U.N. Security Council that the intensity of the conflict, which began April 15, had not reduced despite previous declarations of cease-fires by both sides.

The UN envoy emphasized that it is time for the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces to stop the fighting so desperately needed humanitarian aid can get to those in need and civilians trapped in the fighting to evacuate safely.

So far, the envoy said civilians have been paying a heavy price for “the senseless violence.”

He added that more than 700 people have been killed including 190 children, 6,000 have been wounded and over 1 million have been displaced

The displaced include more than 840,000 who have fled to areas inside Sudan and 250,000 who have fled the country.

On Saturday, the opposing paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army agreed to a ceasefire in the Saudi city of Jeddah that will go into force on Monday night with an international monitoring system

It also enables the distribution of humanitarian aid especially to many Sudanese civilians who are largely affected by the raging clashes.