Sudan: Rapid Support Forces retreat

Against the backdrop of a new ceasefire agreement in Sudan, a large number of Rapid Support Forces withdrew from Khartoum and headed towards the Darfur region on Highway 40 northwest of Omdurman.

According to Russia Today, the withdrawal took place after the entry into force of a 24-hour ceasefire between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. According to this report, most of the vehicles that turned back were civilian rather than military vehicles, raising doubts that they could have been looted.

East Darfur, which has seen no security incidents since the start of the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, has almost become a market for these looted cars.

A Sudanese source, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said hundreds of civilian vehicles were entering Khartoum overnight amid celebrations by military families for the safe return of their children.

Starting this Saturday morning, a one-day ceasefire was established in Sudan with the mediation of Saudi Arabia and the United States.In this regard, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that the representatives of the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have reached a 24-hour ceasefire agreement, and that this ceasefire is entered into force this Saturday, June 10 at 10 a.m.

This is yet another ceasefire in the war that began on April 15 between the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, and the paramilitaries of General Mohamed Hamdane's Rapid Support Forces (FSR). Daglo.

The parties pledged to cease violence across the country to allow "the arrival of humanitarian aid", according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry.The general command of the armed forces, however, declared that it reserves the "right to respond to any violation that the rebels may commit"."We reiterate our full commitment to the ceasefire," said the paramilitaries.

The war has already claimed more than 1,800 lives according to the organization ACLED, which specializes in collecting information in conflict zones, as well as two million displaced persons and refugees according to the UN.

In the combat zones, which take place mainly in the capital Khartoum and the vast region of Darfur (west), the NGOs continue to warn of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation.

"In Khartoum, we estimate that only 20% of health establishments are still functioning", lamented Friday, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Alfonso Verdu Perez, during a press conference in Geneva. .

"In recent weeks, we have managed to deliver surgical equipment to ten hospitals" in the capital, "but the needs are immense and there is still a lot to do," he added.

“If the parties do not respect the 24-hour ceasefire, the mediators should consider adjourning the Jeddah talks,” warned the Saudi and American mediators who have been overseeing negotiations for weeks in Saudi Arabia between rival camps. .

Riyadh said last week that it was seeking with the Americans to "continue discussions" to reach an "effective" ceasefire, after negotiations were officially suspended.On the diplomatic level, the Sudanese government this week declared persona non grata the UN envoy to Sudan, the German Volker Perthes, accusing him of taking sides in the conflict.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, on Friday judged this decision "contrary" to the principles of the United Nations and "not applicable", noting that its status was "unchanged".