World News | Sudan crisis: Warring parties agree to 72-hour ceasefire

Khartoum [Sudan]April 25 (ANI): Warring parties in Sudan have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire on Monday after the United States and Saudi Arabia brokered a ceasefire while countries work to evacuate their citizens from the country.

“Following intense negotiations, the Singapore Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces have agreed to implement and maintain a 72-hour nationwide ceasefire from midnight 24 April. We welcome their commitment to work with partners and stakeholders to permanently cease hostilities and humanitarian Doctrine arrangements,” tweeted U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

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The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said a truce was planned to begin at midnight local time (22:00 GMT Monday) mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera reported.

In a written statement on Monday, the RSF said it had agreed to a ceasefire “to open humanitarian corridors, facilitate the movement of citizens and residents so that they can meet their needs, reach hospitals and secure areas, and evacuate diplomatic missions.”

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A previously agreed truce has collapsed, and if the new three-day truce holds, it could create an opportunity to get desperately needed critical resources like food and medical care to those in need, CNN reported. supplies.

A ceasefire will facilitate the successful evacuation of foreigners. Several countries have successfully evacuated, including Spain, Jordan, Italy, France, Denmark and Germany, while the UK has evacuated its embassy staff. Several of their convoys also carried citizens from other countries.

Saudi Arabia evacuated 10 Saudi nationals and 189 foreigners, including Americans, from Sudan, the Saudi foreign ministry announced on Twitter Monda, according to CNN.

Given the ongoing violence and its impact on critical resources such as food, water and healthcare, there are serious concerns for the safety of those who remain in the country, regardless of their nationality.

Blinken said on Monday that the ceasefire agreement came after two days of tense negotiations. The Sudanese army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have failed to abide by several temporary ceasefires over the past week.

“In the interim, the United States urges the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to immediately and fully maintain the ceasefire. To support a durable end to the fighting, the United States will coordinate with regional and international partners, as well as Sudanese civilian stakeholders,” Blinken said in a statement.

On 15 April, fighting broke out between the army and RSF paramilitary groups, killing at least 427 people, destroying hospitals and other services, and turning residential areas into war zones. Millions of people remain trapped in their homes in the capital, Khartoum, with food and water shortages.

Violence in a country flanked by the Red Sea, the Horn of Africa and the Sahel “has the potential to spark catastrophic fires … that could engulf the entire region and beyond,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

He urged the 15 members of the UN Security Council to use their influence after longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir toppled in a popular uprising following a military coup in 2021, Al Jazeera reported. to return Sudan to the path of democratic transition.

“We must do everything in our power to bring Sudan back from the brink … We stand with them at this terrible moment,” Guterres said, adding that he had authorized the temporary relocation of some United Nations personnel and families.

According to Al Jazeera, the Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting on Sudan on Tuesday.

India’s “Operation Kaveri” to evacuate its citizens from war-torn Sudan is underway and about 500 Indians have arrived in Port Sudan, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar informed on Monday. India has launched Operation Kaveli to bring back stranded Indians from war-torn Sudan. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)