Sudanese warring military factions have agreed to extend the ceasefire agreement for another five days, mediators Saudi Arabia and the United States made the announcement in a joint statement on Monday, reported Reuters.
“The extension will provide time for further humanitarian assistance, restoration of essential services, and discussion of a potential longer-term extension,” the joint statement said.
The development came as both factions were under pressure to extend the week-long ceasefire deal which was due to end on Monday.
The two mediator countries said that although the ceasefire had been imperfectly observed, it had allowed the delivery of aid to an estimated two million people.
Fighting between the Sudanese military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo began in mid-April. The fighting has killed more than 865 civilians and wounded thousands more, according to the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate, a medical group that tracks civilian casualties.
The conflict has forced nearly 1.4 million people to flee their homes to safer areas inside Sudan or cross into neighboring countries. More than 350,000 people have already fled across Sudan’s borders, with most heading to Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan.
The US and Saudi Arabia have been mediating talks between the Sudanese military and the RSF in the Saudi port city of Jeddah for weeks.
In related news, the United Nations agencies on Mondays warned of rising food emergencies including starvation in Sudan due to the outbreak of war.
A new report published by the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that about 2.5 million inside Sudan face acute hunger in the coming months as supply routes through Port Sudan are disrupted by safety issues.
Notably, the UN has appealed for $470 million for its refugee response to the Sudanese crisis over six months.
