A seven-day ceasefire between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is coming into force on Monday, according to an agreement signed by the warring sides.
The two parties signed a ceasefire agreement late Saturday, organized by Saudi Arabia and the US, which also issued a joint statement on the humanitarian arrangements negotiated in Jeddah.
"Under the Agreement, the parties pledged to facilitate the delivery and distribution of humanitarian assistance, restore essential services, and withdraw forces from hospitals and essential public facilities. The parties also agreed to allow the safe passage of people who are there for humanitarian purposes and their commodities, letting goods flow unimpeded from ports of entry to populations in need," the statement said.
However, several previous ceasefire agreements have been announced and then immediately ignored since the fighting broke out five weeks ago.
On 15 April, violent clashes erupted between the Sudanese army and the RSF, with the epicenter located in Khartoum. The government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launched airstrikes against their bases.
The World Health Organization estimates that some 705 people have been killed and at least 5,287 others have been injured in the armed conflict in Sudan. Both sides have traded blame for the ensuing humanitarian crisis, with dire shortages of food, water and fuel, and limited power supply.