Following months of devastating conflict, a flicker of hope emerges from Sudan’s darkness as opposing factions consent to a fragile ceasefire extension. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leading the military, and his adversary, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, have agreed to a five-day ceasefire extension amidst a climate of volatility.

International Mediation and Ceasefire Extension

Esteemed international peacekeepers, the United States and Saudi Arabia, facilitated the ceasefire extension. Expressing their growing frustration over continual ceasefire infractions, both nations brought this news to the world late Monday after citing explicit violations of the week-long peace, initially set to end that same evening. The extension seeks to pave the way for expanded humanitarian aid, re-establishing vital services, and negotiating a potential long-standing ceasefire.

Casualties and Displacement: The Human Cost of Conflict

Since the crisis erupted in mid-April, Sudan has been in a state of unrest, recording approximately 866 civilian deaths and thousands injured, per the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate. However, actual casualty figures may paint a more harrowing picture. This power struggle has turned Khartoum, the capital, and other urban zones into battlefields, driving close to 1.4 million people to find sanctuary in safer areas within Sudan or neighboring countries.