Both of Sudan’s warring factions have declared a 72-hour truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid after nearly a week of fierce fighting, which has left more than 400 people dead and pushed tens of thousands of refugees to flee the country,
CNN reports.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) first announced a ceasefire earlier on Friday yet clashes continued north of the capital. Its rival Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) later announced a three-day suspension of fighting.
Foreign officials and international organizations had been calling for a three-day pause in fighting, which would allow people to find food, evacuate safely, or gather with family for Eid, which marks the end of the Islamic holdy month of Ramadan.
The fighting broke out last Saturday as SAF leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is Sudan’s military ruler, and RSF Commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo vie for control of the country
But it remains unclear if the agreement will hold after several previous ceasefires between the warring generals repeatedly broke down, with both sides trading blame for violating the terms.
The fighting has led to 413 deaths and 3,551 injuries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and one US citizen has also been killed amid the violence, the US State Department confirmed to CNN on Friday.
