The US and Saudi Arabia Call for Extension of Ceasefire in Sudan

Saudi Arabia and the United States called on Sunday for the extension of a ceasefire agreement in Sudan. This agreement has brought a pause to a six-week war between warring military factions in Sudan. However, the recent ceasefire has provided little humanitarian aid for civilians. According to Reuters, witnesses reported clashes overnight in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, as well as in Omdurman, a city adjacent to Khartoum across the Nile. Human rights observers also reported deadly clashes in El Fasher, one of the main cities in the western Darfur region. The conflict between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group known as the 'Rapid Support Forces' began on April 15. The dispute between the two sides has led to intense armed clashes in the capital, lawlessness, and the collapse of services, as well as the displacement of over 1.3 million people from their homes in Sudan. The war in Sudan has also heightened the risk of instability in the region. The one-week ceasefire was achieved through mediation in Saudi Arabia and US-led negotiations in Jeddah and is set to last until Monday evening. Both countries are monitoring the ceasefire remotely, which has been repeatedly violated, and have urged the army and the Rapid Support Forces to continue talks to reach an agreement on extending the ceasefire to facilitate aid to the people of Sudan. The Rapid Support Forces have stated that they are ready to discuss the possibility of extending the ceasefire. No statement regarding a potential extension of the ceasefire has been issued by the army. Since the beginning of the war, over 300,000 people have fled Sudan's borders. Many have moved from Khartoum towards Egypt or from Darfur to the west, to Chad. In Khartoum, factories, offices, homes, and banks have been looted or destroyed. Electricity, water, and telecommunications are often cut off, there is a severe shortage of medicine and medical supplies, and food reserves are running low. The situation in other conflict-affected areas of Sudan is also dire. The clashes have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people. Sporadic clashes in Sudan threaten the continuation of the ceasefire.