Sudan’s warring factions agree to seven-day ceasefire

Sudan’s warring factions have agreed to a new seven-day ceasefire.

The Sudanese army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces signed the deal in the Saudi city of Jeddah, as the fighting entered its sixth week.

The ceasefire, brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia, will start on Monday at 9.45pm in Sudan (8.45pm UK time).

A joint statement by the US and Saudi Arabia said: “Both parties have conveyed to the Saudi and US facilitators their commitment not to seek military advantage during the 48-hour notification period after signing the agreement and prior to the start of the ceasefire.”

The agreement also covers humanitarian assistance, restoring essential services and pulling troops out of vital public facilities.

Talks in Jeddah have previously resulted in agreements on protecting civilians and getting humanitarian assistance to those in need, but ceasefires have failed to hold.

The new agreement will be supported by “a US-Saudi and international-supported ceasefire monitoring mechanism”, made up of three representatives each from the US and Saudi Arabia, and three more from each party.

Hundreds killed and thousands injured

Since the conflict began last month, at least 705 people have been killed and more than 5,200 injured, according to the World Health Organization.

More than one million people have fled their homes, and many foreign countries, including the UK, had to evacuate thousands of their own citizens.

Food, money and other essentials are in short supply, and looting has hit banks, embassies, aid storage facilities and churches.

Air strikes reported

On Saturday, there were air strikes reported in southern Omdurman and northern Bahri.

Sanaa Hassan, a 33-year-old living in Omdurman, said: “We faced heavy artillery fire early this morning.

“The whole house was shaking.

“It was terrifying, everyone was lying under their beds.

“What’s happening is a nightmare,” she added.