The commander of the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has announced a two-day “unilateral” ceasefire in its fight against the army ahead of a major Muslim festival.
“We are declaring a unilateral ceasefire, except for self-defence situations.
“The ceasefire is on the eve of Eid and on Eid al-Adha day,” Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo said on Monday.
His announcement is contained in an audio recording posted on Facebook.
Hemedti expressed hope the Eid holiday would provide an opportunity for reconciliation among the Sudanese people.
He acknowledged the challenging humanitarian conditions caused by the war.
“We hope to emerge from the war more united and stronger,” he said.
The Sudanese army has yet to comment on a potential ceasefire.
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Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, is one of the most important Muslim holidays.
The festival marks the culmination of the annual Hajj (pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia.
Fighting between the army and the RSF has ravaged Sudan since mid-April.
The conflict has killed at least 2,000 civilians and wounded many more.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimates the conflict has displaced almost two million people internally.
It added that more than 600,000 Sudanese have fled to neighbouring countries.
A record 25 million people – more than half the country’s population – are in need of aid and protection, according to the United Nations.
The UN said it has received only a fraction of the necessary funding.
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