Rival forces in Sudan agree to 72-hour ceasefire after deadly airstrike kills 17

Sudan’s armed forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to a new 72-hour ceasefire across Sudan, brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia, hours after a deadly strike killed 17, including five children.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America announce the agreement of representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces on a ceasefire throughout Sudan for a period of 72 hours,” a joint statement from Riyadh and Washington said.

The nationwide truce, which went into effect at 6 am Khartoum time (04:00 GMT) on Sunday, will last until June 21, according to the statement.

It is the latest in a series of attempts to put an end to the fighting, which intensified on Saturday after an airstrike hit a residential area in Sudan’s capital Khartoum leaving 17 dead.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America announce that representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire across Sudan beginning on June 18 at 6:00 a.m. Khartoum time until June 21. pic.twitter.com/RgpVMoKCUV

— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) June 17, 2023

The statement said that both the military and the RSF agreed to stop fighting and “refrain from seeking military advantage during the ceasefire,” and also would “allow the unimpeded movement and delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout the country.”

“The two sides agreed that during the ceasefire period, they would refrain from movements and attacks, the use of warplanes or drones, artillery bombardment, reinforcement of positions, resupply of forces, or refrain from attempting to achieve military gains,” it added.

It also said that in case the parties fail to observe the ceasefire, facilitators will be obliged to consider “adjourning the Jeddah talks”, referring to the discussions in the Saudi Arabian port city.

Joint Facilitators' Statement From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America announce that representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a 72-hour…

— U.S. Embassy Khartoum (@USEmbassyKRT) June 17, 2023

Multiple truces have been agreed upon and broken during the two-month war, including after the United States slapped sanctions on both generals when a previous attempt collapsed at the end of May.

An earlier truce drawn up this month from 10 June to 11 June provided Khartoum residents with a brief respite from the airstrikes and artillery exchanges, but the fighting resumed within 10 minutes of the ceasefire ending after both sides of the Sudanese clashes accused each other of serious violations of the ceasefire.

Five kids among 17 killed in airstrikes in Sudan's capital

Air strikes kill seventeen people, including five children, in Sudan

Over the past two months, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in urban combat which has so far killed at least 1,800 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project’s (ACLED) latest figures from last month.

The fighting now spreads to other provinces, particularly to the cities of the western region of Darfur.

On Thursday, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths described the conditions in Darfur as particularly dire. Medics also warned about the increasing number of wounded people who are fleeing the Darfur region.

One million children displaced in Sudan war: UNICEF

The conflict in Sudan has displaced more than one million children including 270,000 in the Darfur region, the United Nations children

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 149,000 people have fled from Darfur into Chad.

They are among the roughly 2.2 million people uprooted nationwide by the fighting, which has forced more than 528,000 to seek refuge in neighboring countries, said IOM.

A record 25 million people – more than half the population – are in need of aid and protection, including 13 million children, according to the United Nations, which said it has received only a fraction of the necessary funding.

The situation is expected to worsen with the approaching rainy season threatening to make parts of the country inaccessible and raising the risks of malaria, cholera, and water-borne diseases.

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