Sudan Crisis Update: Fighting Continues Despite Agreement on Extension of Truce

• The Sudan crisis continues despite the two factions involved in the fighting agreeing on an extension of a ceasefire agreement by 72 hours.

• The situation threatens to destabilize the fragile nation.

• The two factions previously topped a civilian government in a coup in October 2021.

The Sudan crisis continues despite the two factions involved in the fighting having agreed to extend a ceasefire agreement by 72 hours as violence was observed in the capital of Khartoum as well as the western region of Darfur.

Various reports claimed that there have already been hundreds of people who have died and tens of thousands of others who were forced to flee in fear for their lives amid the two-week conflict between the region's army and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sudan Fighting Continues Despite Ceasefire

During an October 2021 coup, the two factions topped a civilian government, but have now started to struggle for power against each other. The situation has derailed a transition to democracy that the global community supports and is now threatening to cause a destabilization of the fragile nation, as per Reuters.

On Wednesday, the region's army said that it had agreed to a new three-day ceasefire that would last through Sunday. The decision came after one agreement was set to expire on Thursday night. They reiterated that the truce would be extended, claiming that it would honor the agreement unilaterally.

The RSF on Thursday, responded by saying that it also approved the new 72-hour ceasefire that would begin on Friday. The United Nations, the African Union, the Africa trade bloc IGAD, the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates all welcomed the news.

A joint statement said that they welcomed the readiness of the two factions to engage in dialogue in an attempt to establish a more durable cessation of hostilities. They added that they were optimistic about ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access in the region.

The previous truce allowed thousands of people in the region to flee to safety amid efforts by dozens of countries to evacuate their own citizens in the area. The violence comes as South Sudan offered to host peace talks between the two factions, and the army agreed to send representatives to participate in the talks, according to BBC.

Evacuation of Civilians

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State said that Washington was "very actively working" to extend the ceasefire agreement. He added that while imperfect, the deal would reduce the violence happening in the region.

However, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre later argued that the situation in the region could worsen at a moment's notice. On the other hand, the RSF and several eyewitnesses said that the army was conducting attacks in Khartoum despite the truce.

The situation comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday issued a warning that there could be a "huge biological risk" after fighters seized control of the National Public Health Laboratory located in Khartoum.

The lab was thought to contain samples of diseases and other biological material. While the WHO did not place responsibility on anyone or any entity for the seizure of the lab, it said that medical technicians were no longer able to access the facility, said CNN.