Sudanese army declines calls for humanitarian ceasefire

April 18, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese army on Tuesday rejected calls for a ceasefire in the country, and accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of seeking to mobilise more troops.

RSF leader early on Tuesday posted a tweet announcing his approval for a 24-hour cessation of hostilities to establish a humanitarian corridor to evacuate wounded civilians.

The announcement of the ceasefire by the RSF come after a telephone call Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti” received from US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to propose a humanitarian ceasefire.

However, the army spokesman claimed they had received information about RSF’s preparation to launch new attacks on Khartoum.

“We are surprised by the enemy’s talk of a truce given the confirmed information we received that they have mobilized a significant force in Merowe”.

The army spokesman said the RSF were preparing to receive military aid plane from regional allies and that troops that would move Darfur to Khartoum.

Blinken told reporters from Karuizawa, Japan, that he had spoken about the need for the 24-hour ceasefire to allow Sudanese to safely reunite with their families and to obtain desperately needed relief supplies.

Sudanese army Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan did not make a public reaction to the American proposal.

In statements to CNN released on Tuesday, al-Burhan accused the RSF of violating a proposed ceasefire on two consecutive days – Sunday and Monday.

He confirmed that a humanitarian ceasefire proposal had been suggested and accepted. But he condemned the RSF for exploiting the humanitarian pause to carry out mortar attacks on the army headquarters.

(ST)