Sudanese army reiterates adherence to unilateral ceasefire

September 7, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese Army’s Chief of General Staff Kamal Abdel-Marouf has renewed commitment to the unilateral cessation of hostilities on all war zones.

Speaking to officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division in Blue Nile State capital, Damazin, Abdel-Marouf said the disarmament campaign has largely contributed to the voluntary return of IDPs to their original areas and to increased production and productivity.

He praised the heroic roles that the Sudanese army continued to play, vowing to observe the unilateral ceasefire until the end of 2018 according to the presidential directives.

Abdel-Marouf also renewed calls for the rebel movements to listen to the voice of reason and join the national dialogue in order to participate in the building and reconstruction of the country.

Last month, the Sudanese president extended a unilateral cessation of hostilities on all areas o operations for a six-month period until the end of the year.

Three Darfur armed groups, Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minnawi
SLM/A), the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and Sudan Liberation Movement–Transitional Council (SLM–TC) on August 8 extended for three months a unilateral cessation of hostilities in Darfur region.

Also, two factions of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-North) declared a similar unilateral ceasefire.

The purpose of the unilateral truce was initially to create a conducive environment for talks brokered by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to end the armed conflict in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states and Darfur region.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the SPLM-N rebels in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, also known as the Two Areas since 2011 and a group of movements in Darfur since 2003.

(ST)