Sudan army, rival forces agree to 24-hr ceasefire

Khartoum, April 18

The Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary force that have been battling the past four days for control of the country agreed on Tuesday to a 24-hour ceasefire, Arab media reports said. Hopes for at least a pause in the violence came as intensified fighting threatened to spiral even further into chaos.

Millions of Sudanese in the capital and in other major cities have been hiding in their homes, caught in the crossfire as the two forces pounded residential areas with artillery and airstrikes and engaged in gunbattles in the street.

Over the past day, fighters in Khartoum attacked a US Embassy convoy and stormed the home of the EU envoy to Sudan, though neither attack caused casualties.

A few channels cited Lt Gen Shams El Din Kabbashi, a senior figure in the military command, as saying that the military would comply with the ceasefire.

A channel cited the head of the military, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, saying it would be party to the day-long truce. Earlier in the day, the military’s opponent, the Rapid Support Forces, said it would abide by a 24-hour humanitarian truce.

There was no immediate public announcement of a cease-fire from military officials, however. In the afternoon clashes were still reported around the military’s headquarters and close to the neighbouring airport, both major battle zones since fighting first erupted on Saturday.

More than 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 wounded since fighting began Saturday, according to United Nations’ figures, which did not include a breakdown of civilians and combatants. — Agencies

31 tribals from K’taka stranded

Thirty-one people of Hakki-Pikki community from Karnataka are stranded in Sudan. The poverty-stricken tribals went there as there is a great demand for traditional medicines, said State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Manoj Rajan.