“Sudan agrees on three-day ceasefire amidst humanitarian crisis and evacuations”

The warring factions in Sudan have agreed on a three-day ceasefire. The ceasefire has been agreed after negotiations with the United States and Saudi Arabia, the Sudanese military said. The paramilitary group RSF confirms the ceasefire, which has taken effect from midnight.

Whether the ceasefire will be observed is more the question. Last week, the RSF and the Sudanese government army also agreed a three-day ceasefire due to the end of Ramadan, but it was soon violated. The two ceasefires that were agreed upon for this purpose were also not observed.

According to US Secretary of State Blinken, the ceasefire is the result of intensive negotiations, which lasted two days. He says that the Americans will work together with regional and international parties on a permanent ceasefire.

The paramilitary RSF says it stands behind the ceasefire to enable humanitarian aid. The Sudanese government army also says it agrees. A coalition of Sudanese civil society organisations reacts ecstatically to the news.

The paramilitary group and the army have been fighting against each other for more than a week. The conflict has left the East African country in a humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations, the country’s 46 million inhabitants suffer from a shortage of food, clean water, medicines and fuel. In addition, prices of essential goods are skyrocketing and there are reports of looting, the UN said.

In the capital Khartoum, the population is locked in their homes because of the violence. Thousands of Sudanese have already fled to neighboring countries such as Egypt, Chad and South Sudan. At least 420 people have been killed in the violence. Fierce fighting in various places in Sudan is hampering aid operations, says a UN spokesman. The World Food Program has suspended aid in Sudan over the violence.

United Nations Secretary-General Guterres warned on Monday that the violence in Sudan could spiral into a “catastrophic conflagration” that could spread to the entire region and beyond. The UN Security Council will meet on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Sudan.

Dozens of countries are evacuating diplomats and other compatriots. A third Dutch evacuation flight has now departed from Sudan. It is unclear how many Dutch people are still in the country. Italy and Germany were also able to evacuate compatriots on Monday.