Reports said that the two parties to the power struggle in Sudan did not abide by the ceasefire, which is scheduled to last for seven days, despite its entry into force hours ago.

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EDITED BY \ PAUL MITCHEL

AFRICA SECTION

23 MAY 2023 - SUDAN

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Eyewitnesses said in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, that they saw air raids and armed clashes in the streets of the city, despite the start of the ceasefire agreement between the two sides.

The Witnesses reported that clashes in the north of Khartoum and air strikes east of the capital shortly after 9:45 pm (1945 GMT) when the truce was in effect.

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of the Rapid Support Forces known as Hemedti, had made aggressive statements urging his soldiers to win the war, hours before the current truce came into effect.

"The Rapid Support Forces will not back down until they end the army's coup," Hamidti said, via an audio message released by the Rapid Support Forces. It is not yet known when it was recorded.

Earlier Monday, residents of the capital, desperate for a truce to reach stranded relatives, flee to safety or access humanitarian aid, said the fighters were unwilling to stop fighting.

Saudi Arabia and the United States, co-sponsors of the peace talks held in Jeddah, had announced that the ceasefire would take effect on Monday evening.

Egypt welcomed the signing of the armistice agreement by the Sudanese parties participating in the Jeddah talks.

On Sunday, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said, "Rescue work and healing the wounds of bodies and souls need a safe environment... even for a week."

The agreement stipulates a cease-fire for a period of one week, and its implementation begins two days after its signing.

The two parties were given two days to inform the field commanders of the terms of the armistice and the manner of its implementation.

The agreement provided for monitoring the truce through a joint mechanism between the parties to the conflict and the mediators, in addition to the International Red Cross.

The army and the Rapid Support Forces signed similar previous agreements without committing to them, amid mutual accusations between them regarding breaching the armistice.

However, the new agreement will be implemented through a "ceasefire monitoring mechanism," according to a US-Saudi statement.

It is noteworthy that previous agreements reached by the two sides on a cease-fire failed to stop the fighting that has been taking place in the country since mid-April.

The fighting began on April 15 between the country's regular army, led by Sudan's de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by al-Burhan's former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The seven-page agreement issued by the United States states that the warring parties were to use the two days prior to its entry into force on Monday night to "inform their forces" about it and "direct them to comply" with its terms.

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