Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan approved a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in the city of El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur state in western Sudan on Friday.
The decision came following a phone call from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to a statement from the Sovereign Council.
Guterres requested the implementation of a week-long truce in the besieged city of El-Fasher to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need.
The statement said Burhan agreed to the ceasefire and emphasised the importance of enforcing relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
the capital of North Darfur, remains the last major city in the vast Darfur region that the paramilitary group has not conquered.
The Sovereign Council’s statement did not specify when the ceasefire would begin.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been locked in a conflict with the army, has not issued any immediate comment.
Since May 10, 2024, fierce clashes have erupted between Sudanese army forces and the RSF in El-Fasher, despite international warnings about the fighting in the city, a crucial hub for humanitarian operations across the five Darfur states.
The army and RSF have been fighting a war since mid-April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 victims and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities.
