The Sudanese army has agreed to a pause in fighting for 24 hours beginning Tuesday evening. It came after US top diplomat Antony Blinken urged warring factions to ensure the safety of civilians. DW has the latest.
The Sudanese army has agreed to a 24-hour pause in fighting beginning Tuesday, according to media reports.
Arabic language television news Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera cited top military officer Shams El Din Kabbashi as saying that the army would comply with the cease-fire.
The announcement came a few hours after after the Sudanese army said it was not aware about the cease-fire that had been announced by the paramilitary group battling it.
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, said they have agreed to a cease-fire to ensure safety of civilians but that the Sudanese armed forces had "failed to honor" the agreement.
Millions of Sudanese in capital Khartoum and in other major cities have been hiding in their homes, caught in the crossfire as the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces pounded residential areas with artillery and airstrikes and engaged in gunbattles in the street.
Ealier in the day, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he spoken to leaders of rival armed forces in Sudan and urged an immediate cease-fire, the State Department said.
Blinken "expressed his grave concern about the death and injury of so many Sudanese civilians due to the sustained, indiscriminate fighting," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
A cease-fire would "permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected by the fighting, the reunification of Sudanese families, and allow the international community in Khartoum to make sure its presence is secure," Patel said.
Additionally, Blinken said that a US diplomatic convoy came under fire in the country, but those inside were unharmed.
"I can confirm that yesterday we had an American diplomatic convoy that was fired on. All of our people are safe and unharmed. But this action was reckless, it was irresponsible and of course unsafe," he told reporters in Japan after G7 talks.
Here are some of other notable developments concerning the conflict in Sudan on Tuesday, April 18:
More than 180 killed in fighting
Fierce clashes erupted over the weekend between forces loyal to Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan's transitional governing Sovereign Council, and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) head Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who is deputy head of the council.
At least 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 injured so far.
Al-Burhan has not spoken publicly since Saturday afternoon, when he accused the RSF of an attack and stressed that he had the situation under control.
G7 urges Sudan's warring parties to lay down arms
Foreign ministers of the G7 countries called on the warring parties to "immediately" halt fighting
"We urge the parties to end hostilities immediately without pre-conditions. We call on all actors to renounce violence, return to negotiations, and take active steps to reduce tensions and ensure the safety of all civilians, including diplomatic and humanitarian personnel."
On Monday, United Nations (UN) envoy Volker Perthes said clashes have spread across Sudan.
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"The two sides who are fighting are not giving the impression that they want mediation for a peace between them right away," Perthes told reporters by video link from Khartoum.
There are concerns the turmoil could spill across borders and destabilize the fragile region.
Egypt's el-Sissi denies interference in conflict
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said late on Monday Egyptian troops in Sudan were merely there to conduct exercises with their Sudanese counterparts and not to support any of the warring parties.
After clashes erupted across Sudan, the RSF shared a video they said showed Egyptian troops who had "surrendered" to them in the northern town of Merowe.
El-Sissi also said Egypt was in regular contact with the Sudanese army and the RSF to encourage them to reach a cease-fire agreement.
rm, lo/wd (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
