The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have signed a preliminary agreement in the Saudi port city of Jeddah to avoid harming civilians amid talks still underway for a ceasefire, according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry.
After a week of discussions in Jeddah, the warring factions signed a declaration on Friday committing to working towards a short-term ceasefire in further talks.
“The two sides are quite far apart,” Reuters reported citing an unnamed senior U.S. State Department official.
A text of the declaration released after the talks said the factions “commit to prioritizing discussions to achieve a short-term ceasefire to facilitate the delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance and restoration of essential services.”
A statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the parties would focus on reaching a deal for an effective ceasefire lasting up to about 10 days.
The army and RSF said in their agreement that they would schedule “subsequent expanded discussions to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities.”
Negotiators working with Saudi and U.S. mediators will next discuss specific security measures for safeguarding relief supplies, the U.S. official told Reuters.
The U.S. official said it would be a long process to move from a temporary ceasefire, once agreed, to a permanent cessation of hostilities.
Civilian groups are expected to participate later in the talks, the U.S. official said. The Forces for Freedom and Change, a coalition of political parties supporting democratic rule, called the declaration “an important first step towards ending the war” and urged the forces to abide by it.
Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in the capital city of Khartoum and other areas since April 15, with the two sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.
The deadly clashes have left at least 604 people dead and 5,127 injured, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.
