Sudanese Armed Forces announce unilateral truce in time of Eid al-Fitr
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The armed forces wished on the RSF paramilitary organization to comply with the ceasefire.
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People attend Eid al-Firtr prayer in Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, April 21, 2023 (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)
Sudanese armed forces declared a three-day truce starting today for the sake of the Eid al-Fitr holiday which marks the end of the Holy month of Ramadan.
"The armed forces agreed to a truce for a period of three days, starting Friday, April 21, so that citizens could celebrate Eid al-Fitr and humanitarian services were provided," the military said on social media.
The armed forces wished for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary organization to comply with the ceasefire.
#BREAKING | The #Sudan Army announced that it has agreed to a three-day truce starting Friday in connection with Eid al-Fitr. pic.twitter.com/Myh7yOEEhu
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 21, 2023
Earlier today, Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire on humanitarian grounds starting at 6:00 am local time (4:00 GMT).
However this initiative was short-lived, such that warring factions in Sudan engaged in fierce clashes with heavy gunfire and explosions heard in the capital Khartoum and other cities.
Last week, 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.
Read more: Fierce fighting rages in Sudanese capital as ceasefire fails yet again
Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands have been injured in clashes between forces loyal to Sudan's army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti).
World Health Organization spokesperson Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva Friday that "four hundred and thirteen people have died and 3,551 people have been injured." The UN children's agency UNICEF said at least nine children were among the dead and more than 50 had been wounded.
