As the conflict between the two warring parties enters its eleventh week, Sudan‘s army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo independently declared temporary cease-fires to coincide with the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha.
After Dagalo announced a two-day cease-fire for Tuesday and Wednesday, Burhan unilaterally issued a one-day truce on Tuesday night to coincide symbolically with the holiday.
Army leader Burhan made serious accusations against the RSF in a broadcast speech, charging that they targeted civilians on purpose in crucial areas including Khartoum, El Obeid, and Darfur, committing crimes against humanity.
Burhan pleaded with the youth of the country and all physically capable people to defend Sudan from the RSF’s “conspiracy” and the presence of “mercenaries,” which he claimed represented an existential threat to the nation.
He asked Sudanese people to enlist in the military or defend their country from the RSF insurgency even inside the walls of their houses.
In an audio clip released on Monday, Dagalo regretted the suffering caused by the confrontations between his Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army.
He spoke openly about the numerous complaints of sexual assaults and other human rights abuses that his troops are accused of committing against civilians in Khartoum and Darfur among other places across the country. He promised to take decisive action to remedy such violations and gave the assurance that anyone in his ranks who were accountable for rights violations would face legal repercussions.
The RSF announced a cease-fire for Eid al-Adha after the Sudanese army reported on Monday that the paramilitary had taken control of a well-equipped police brigade’s major base in Khartoum and there were rumors of combat for the first time spreading to Blue Nile state, which is close to Ethiopia.
The 11-week war between the army of Sudan and the RSF has had devastating effects on both the country and its people.
The Sudanese health ministry estimates that thousands of people have died since mid-April, compared to the United Nations’ estimate of over 2.5 million people who have been displaced from their homes.
