Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamadan “Hemedti” Dagalo has declared a two-day ceasefire as Muslims observe Eid al-Adha. “We are declaring a unilateral ceasefire, except for self-defence situations, on the eve of Eid and on the day of Eid al-Adha,” Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo announced on Monday in a statement posted on Facebook.
The worsening humanitarian situation in the country brought on by war is devastating to the civilian population, he said, adding that he hoped the Eid holiday would give the Sudanese people a chance to seek reconciliation. The Sudanese army has not yet made any remarks on a potential ceasefire, One of the most significant Muslim holidays, Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, marks the conclusion of the yearly Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
More than 1,800 people have been killed since the battles began in mid-April, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, and more than 1.6 million people have been displaced within the country or across its borders, the UN has said, with many fleeing to Egypt, Chad and South Sudan. On April 15, heavy gunfire and explosions rock the capital Khartoum, sparking panic in the city of more than five million people on the Nile.
The army, led by Sudan’s de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Burhan’s deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo , known as “Hemedti”, each accuses the other of attacking first. The clashes come after years of instability and repeated coups. Fighting also erupts in the western region of Darfur, which is still reeling from a brutal war that started in 2003 under longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir.
