Sudan’s warring factions agree to 72-hour ceasefire as foreigners flee by air, land and sea
- US-brokered three-day ceasefire between Sudan’s warring generals officially came into effect after 10 days of urban combat
- The ceasefire announcement came as foreign governments work to help diplomats and citizens fleeing the violence
02:59
South Koreans, Chinese among growing list of nationals evacuating from Sudan as unrest continues
Fighting in Sudan abated overnight after the army and a rival paramilitary force agreed to a 72-hour truce but a witness said gunfire could be heard on Tuesday while Arab, Asian and Western nations were racing to extract their citizens from the country.
The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) said the US and Saudi Arabia mediated the ceasefire. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the agreement first and said it followed two days of intense negotiations. The two sides have not abided by several previous temporary truce deals.
A power struggle erupted between the SAF and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group on April 15 and has killed at least 427 people, knocked out hospitals and other services, and turned residential areas into war zones.
“During this period, the United States urges the SAF and RSF to immediately and fully uphold the ceasefire,” Blinken said in a statement.
A Reuters witness said he heard gunfire from time to time in the city of Omdurman adjacent to the capital after a period of relative calm overnight.
The British government launched a large-scale evacuation of its nationals on military flights from an airfield north of Khartoum, open to those with British passports.