JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia
The Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have reached an agreement on a 24-hour ceasefire, as announced by the American and Saudi facilitators on Friday. The ceasefire, set to commence on June 10 at 6:00 a.m. local time, aims to halt the ongoing conflict in Sudan temporarily.
According to the terms of the
agreement, both the Sudanese Army and the RSF have committed to refraining from
prohibited movements, attacks, the use of aircraft or drones, aerial
bombardment, artillery strikes, reinforcement of positions, and resupply of
forces.
The primary objective of the
ceasefire is to prevent any party from seeking military advantage during this
temporary truce. Additionally, the agreement guarantees the unhindered movement
and delivery of crucial humanitarian assistance throughout the country.
Acknowledging the frustrations
of the Sudanese people due to the inconsistent implementation of previous
ceasefires, the American and Saudi facilitators have proposed this latest
initiative as a concerted effort to break the cycle of violence.
While the announcement has
been met with cautious optimism, the facilitators have emphasized the
importance of strict adherence to the ceasefire agreement.
“Should the parties fail to
observe the 24-hour ceasefire, facilitators will be compelled to consider
adjourning the Jeddah talks,” stressed the statement.
In response to the previous
violations of the ceasefire agreement, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken
described it as “highly imperfect” but acknowledged its impact in delivering
humanitarian assistance to approximately 2 million people.
Looking ahead, Blinken
emphasized the need to assess the parties’ commitment to the process, the
ceasefire, and their willingness to move towards a broader cessation of hostilities
and a transition process.
“If not, we will have to look
at other options for dealing with the situation,” he further stressed.
When asked about the
possibility of imposing new sanctions by the U.S. administration, Secretary of
State Blinken noted the availability of various tools at their disposal but
declined to provide further details.
On June 1, Washington imposed
sanctions on four companies associated with the warring parties in Sudan. Also,
individual sanctions were imposed on military leaders from both sides but the
names were not announced.
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