Sudan’s fragile ceasefire extended

JEDDAH – May 30, 2023

The warring Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to extend the shaky ceasefire that was signed ten days ago in Jeddah with another five days. The extension aims to “implement provisions of the first ceasefire that were not fully achieved”.

The extension was announced jointly by the United States of America (USA) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who have acted as facilitators of the Jeddah talks.

The Joint Facilitators’ Statement announced that representatives of the SAF and RSF signed an extension to the May 20 Agreement on a Short-Term Ceasefire and Humanitarian Arrangements yesterday, May 29, “to provide more time for humanitarian actors to undertake their vital work”.

“The parties affirmed their intention to use the five-day extension to implement provisions of the first ceasefire that were not fully achieved, including further deliveries of humanitarian assistance, facilitation of essential services repair, and evacuation of armed actors from hospitals.”

‘The parties affirmed their intention to use the five-day extension to implement provisions of the first ceasefire that were not fully achieved’

Members of the El Amarat resistance committees in Khartoum said that the RSF “are still inside residential homes, schools, hospitals, and service facilities” in a statement on social media on Sunday.

In El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, the Teaching Hospital is threatened with closure again because the army entered the hospital on Friday. They threatened to close the hospital if medics receive or treat any members of the RSF.

For most of yesterday, it was still unclear whether the ceasefire would be extended. On Sunday, the USA and Saudi Arabia called out the RSF and SAF for breaching the week-long ceasefire that was set to expire yesterday evening.