Sudan's military and paramilitary forces sign a seven-day truce

Plumes of black smoke fill the sky over northern Khartoum, Sudan, on May 1, 2023 – Photo: Mohamed Noureldin Abdullah/Reuters

Military and paramilitary forces that have been in conflict for six weeks in Sudan signed a seven-day ceasefire agreement on Saturday (20). According to Reuters, the truce is effective from Monday (22).

The announcement was made in a joint statement of the treaty’s mediators, the United States and Saudi Arabia. The countries say the agreement will be monitored, as many previous attempts have been breached.

The treaty also includes the distribution of humanitarian aid, the restoration of basic services, and the withdrawal of forces from hospitals and basic public facilities.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and paramilitary units of the Rapid Support Forces has led to the collapse of the country’s structures. Stocks of food, cash and other essentials are in sharp decline, and looting has hit banks, embassies, relief depots and even churches.

Aid groups say they are unable to provide adequate relief in the capital, Khartoum, in the absence of safe passage and security guarantees for their teams.

The conflict, which began on April 15, has displaced 1.1 million people in the country and displaced thousands more to neighboring countries. The World Health Organization said at least 705 people were killed and 5,287 wounded.