Both of Sudan's warring factions have declared a 72-hour truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid after nearly a week of fierce fighting, which has left more than 400 people dead and pushed tens of thousands of refugees to flee the country.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces first announced a ceasefire earlier on Friday yet clashes continued north of the capital. Its rival Sudan Armed Forces later announced a three-day suspension of fighting.
The fighting has led to 413 deaths and 3,551 injuries, according to the World Health Organization , and one US citizen has also been killed amid the violence, the US State Department confirmed to CNN on Friday. The RSF had announced a ceasefire in a statement on Twitter on Friday morning, saying it was due to begin at 6 a.m. local time SAF leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan released an on-camera statement Friday morning, expressing sadness for victims of the fighting and praying for a peaceful Eid -- but he made no mention of a truce.
A ceasefire could provide a crucial window not just for aid distribution and medical care -- but for foreign governments to reach their citizens stranded in the country. The US Defense Department said on Thursday it was deploying"additional capabilities" nearby Sudan to secure the US Embassy in the country and assist with a potential evacuation, if the situation calls for it. It includes hundreds of Marines who are already in nearby Djibouti, a US defense official told CNN, with aircraft capable of bringing in ground units to secure an embassy.
Sudan's army said Thursday that 177 Egyptian soldiers who had been trapped in the country were evacuated and safely returned to Egypt.Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Friday that Spain has"pre-positioned" military planes to evacuate 60 Spaniards and about 20 nationals from other countries from violence-torn Sudan, but conditions are currently not safe for the planes to land in the country.
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