Saudi Arabia and the U.S. said Sudan’s warring sides agreed on a seven-day cease-fire starting Monday to allow the distribution of humanitarian aid and restoration of essential services.
Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces, a rival paramilitary group, signed the accord in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday and agreed to refrain from taking military advantage until it takes effect, the U.S. State Department said in a joint statement.
Sudan’s army and the RSF previously signed a similar brokered agreement to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid on May 11. Fighting raged in Khartoum, the capital, the following day despite the accord.
“It is well known that the parties have previously announced cease-fires that have not been observed,” according to the statement. This time, a U.S.-Saudi and internationally supported “monitoring mechanism” will support the attempt to halt the fighting.
About 1,000 people have died and thousands more have been injured since fighting broke out between the two sides on April 15, after months of rising tensions over how to merge the generals’ armies into a single force. An estimated 843,000 people have fled their homes, according to the United Nations.
