South Sudan Foreign Ministry confirms truce from May 4 to May 11

By Al-Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 May 18:53

This counts as the seventh truce after the previous six truces were violated and the third week of chaos has sparked a mass exodus of tens of thousands of Sudanese to neighboring countries including Egypt, Chad, and the Central African Republic.

Smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment, during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 1, 2023. (Reuters)

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Sudan, a truce was agreed upon from May 4 to May 11 on Tuesday by the leaders of the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

In a social media post, the ministry said: "The two principals, H.E. Gen. Abdel Fatah Al Burhan, the Chairman of the Sovereign Council and Commander in Chief of Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo Leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have agreed in principle for a seven-day truce from May 4th to 11th".

This counts as the seventh truce after the previous six were violated. The chaos and bloodshed, now in their third week, have sparked a mass exodus of tens of thousands of Sudanese to neighboring countries including Egypt, Chad, and the Central African Republic.

More than 500 people have been reportedly killed since fighting erupted on April 15 between Sudan's army chief Al-Burhan and Dagalo, or Hemedti, who commands the RSF.

UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed yesterday that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has spoken to both Sudanese rival generals over the phone "at different times" and that "he will do whatever needs to be done."

He added that Guterres has the phone "glued to his ear" amid warnings that more than 800,000 people could flee fighting in Sudan, where gun battles and explosions again shook the capital in violation of the latest truce agreed between the warring generals.

Axios reported that "Israel" has been in contact with generals of both the #Sudanese Army Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), urging them to stop their fighting as the ongoing clashes put the normalization deal between #Sudan and the occupation at risk. pic.twitter.com/BFoLIcdo83
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 20, 2023

In the latest updates, the conflict in Sudan could turn into one of the world's worst civil wars if it is not put to a stop early on, Sudan’s ousted prime minister Abdullah Hamdok claimed on Sunday.

Hamdok said, in a conversation with telecom tycoon Mo Ibrahim during an event in Nairobi, that “God forbid if Sudan is to reach a point of civil war proper ... Syria, Yemen, Libya will be a small play,” adding, “I think it would be a nightmare for the world.”

Sudan Turmoil

Clashes broke out after weeks of tension between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Though the two groups were once allies, tensions have been brewing since the proposed integration of the RSF into the military. As factions battle for control, where is Khartoum headed?