Sudan’s paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), says it is committing to a 24-hour ceasefire to allow safe passage of civilians and for humanitarian aid.
In a statement, the head of RSF Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, said the deal had been reached following a conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and “other friendly nations”.
“The RSF reaffirms its approval of a 24-hour armistice to ensure the safe passage of civilians and the evacuation of the wounded,” Hemedti said.
He accused the army of failing to honour an earlier ceasefire by the UN, saying the soldiers were allegedly “bombing densely populated areas from the air and endangering civilian lives”.
“These actions are a flagrant violation of the foundations and principles of international and humanitarian law,” he added.
There has been no word yet from the Sudanese army on the ceasefire plea.
Sounds of gunfire were heard in Khartoum early morning, with the death toll now nearing 200.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has described as “reckless” an attack on a US diplomatic convoy in Sudan amid fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“This action was reckless, it was irresponsible and of course unsafe,” he told reporters in Japan where he attended a meeting of G7 foreign ministers.
“We have deep concerns about the overall security environment,” he said.
It came as Mr Blinken spoke to the head of the army Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF head Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo and stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of diplomatic personnel and aid workers.
The EU’s ambassador in Sudan, Aidan O’Hara, was earlier reported to have been assaulted at his home in the capital Khartoum amid the fighting between the army and RSF forces.
Around 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 injured in three days of fighting in Sudan, according to the UN.