Sudan: Factions agree on 7-day cease-fire

Sudan's warring factions reached an agreement Saturday on a seven-day cease-fire, as announced by the US and Saudi mediators. Previous attempts to broker a lasting truce had been unsuccessful.

During a meeting held in Jeddah, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces officially agreed upon a seven-day cease-fire scheduled to commence on Monday at 9:45 p.m. local time in Sudan, according to a joint statement issued by the United States and Saudi Arabia. The possibility of extending the cease-fire will be considered if both parties mutually agree.

The joint statement said, "Both parties have assured the Saudi and US facilitators of their commitment to refrain from seeking military advantage during the 48-hour notification period after signing the agreement and prior to the commencement of the cease-fire."

Previous discussions in Jeddah resulted in an agreement between the conflicting sides to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict.

However, prior ceasefire arrangements faltered as both parties accused each other of violations.

Committee to monitor cease-fire

The US-Saudi statement acknowledged, "it is widely known that the parties have previously declared cease-fires that were not upheld." In contrast, the recent agreement reached in Jeddah has been signed by both parties and will be backed by a ceasefire monitoring mechanism supported by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the international community.

The Monitoring and Coordination Committee will consist of three representatives from the United States and Saudi Arabia, as well as three representatives from each of the involved parties.

tg/sms (AP, Reuters)