Sudanese Army Agrees To Extend Ceasefire, Hold Talks With RSF
The Sudanese army has expressed willingness to extend the three-day ceasefire with its rival, the Rapid Support Force (RSF), that is due to expire on April 27 night.
In a statement released late on April 26, the army said its Commander-in-Chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had given initial approval to a proposal by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional block, to extend the ceasefire for another three days and send an army envoy to the South Sudan capital of Juba for talks with the RSF.
According to the army, the presidents of South Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti have worked on the proposal that includes extending the ceasefire and launching talks between the two warring sides.
“Burhan thanked the IGAD and expressed an initial approval to that,” the army’s statement reads.
The RSF, which is led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has not responded yet to the proposal made by IGAD, which could help end the conflict in Sudan that has so far claimed the lives of more than four hundred people.
The current ceasefire experienced many violations by both sides, with clashes being reported in the capital of Khartoum and many other parts of Sudan. Still, it facilitated the evacuation of many diplomatic missions and thousands of foreign nationals from the country.
The United States, which enjoys good relations with both the army and the RSF, appears to be in favor of the proposal made by IGAD.
The Department of State said on April 26 that Secretary Antony Blinken and African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat discussed ways to work together to end the conflict in Sudan. African Union leadership remained “essential in pressing the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to immediately cease military operations and allow unhindered humanitarian access,” the department added in a statement.
Al-Burhan and Dagalo have been ruling Sudan as the president and vice-president of the Sovereign Council since a coup in October 2021.
The clashes in Sudan broke out on April 15 as a result of a disagreement over how the RSF should be integrated into the army and what authority should oversee the process during transition to civilian-led rule in the country. The power struggle could escalate to a full-blown civil war.
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