Week-long humanitarian ceasefire comes into effect in Sudan
Airstrikes rocked Sudan’s capital Khartoum hours ahead of a week-long ceasefire between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces came into effect.
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The ceasefire, which was agreed on Saturday after many weeks of pitched battles between the country's rival forces, came into effect at 9:45 p.m. local time (19:45 GMT) on Monday.
Witnesses, however, reported heavy bombardments in east Khartoum, as the latest photos showed thick black smoke rising into the sky.
The conflict in the North African country represents a power struggle between army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who heads the RSF.
The RSF is adept at ground fighting, while the army has depended largely on airstrikes and heavy artillery fire.
Prior to the ceasefire's materialization, the RSF released an audio message from Dagalo, in which he said his forces will not retreat until they end what he described as the army’s coup.
The war in Sudan has already driven nearly 1.1 million people from their homes, including more than 250,000 who have fled into neighboring countries. More than 700 people have been killed and over 5,200 others injured in the conflict, according to the World Health Organization. However, the true death toll is believed to be much higher.