After more than two weeks of conflict in Sudan, two opposing generals have agreed "in principle" to a seven-day truce pending talks to end the fighting. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir brokered the proposed cease-fire, which is set to begin on May 4. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, have agreed to name representatives for peace talks that will commence at a venue of their choice as soon as possible.
The fighting, which erupted on April 15, has already claimed the lives of more than 500 people and has led to about 100,000 fleeing across borders. Despite several previous truces, none were implemented, and it's uncertain whether this one will hold. The UN estimates of the conflict show a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Khartoum, making it imperative to de-escalate the crisis, according to Kiir's administration.
The conflict between the army and the RSF has long been simmering. The current situation has disrupted plans for a power-sharing government that was supposed to lead the nation of about 45 million people to democratic elections after a 2021 coup. The army has been targeting bases and supply lines used by the RSF, leading to airstrikes, heavy shelling, and gunfire across strategic sites in Khartoum, according to Western diplomats and an internal UN document seen by Bloomberg.
A UN spokesperson confirmed that a meeting between Burhan and Dagalo in Saudi Arabia has been agreed upon, but a date hasn't been set. A competing effort to broker talks by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development could complicate matters. Both sides accused each other of breaking a previously agreed cease-fire. Spokespeople for the army and RSF didn't respond to questions regarding peace talks.
Human Rights Watch noted that militia members from the ethnic Massalit and well-armed Arab communities in the Darfur region have joined the conflict, leading to devastating effects such as property destruction and residential neighborhood pillaging. Regional leaders have repeatedly warned of the potential for the various ethnic militias, insurgencies, and rebel groups to become involved in a protracted conflict in Sudan, which could be disastrous.
An internal UN document dated April 30 noted that robberies and incidents of looting have been widespread in Nyala, southern Darfur, in recent days, and the city's administration appeared to have split between the two warring parties. The African Union will hold an emergency meeting involving senior regional officials on Tuesday afternoon to discuss how to end the conflict.