Battle-weary Sudanese hope upcoming truce finally holds

KHARTOUM - Air raids, gunfire and explosions rocked Sudan's capital on Sunday ahead of a one-week ceasefire agreed by rival generals, the latest in a series of truces that have been systematically violated.

The ceasefire is focused on enabling humanitarian assistance to civilians. It is to take effect at 9.45pm on Monday, the United States and Saudi Arabia said in a joint statement late Saturday after talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

In a deserted neighbourhood of Khartoum North, Hussein Mohammed hopes that, finally, the guns will silence.

The United Nations says fighting has driven nearly 650,000 Khartoum residents from their homes, but Mohammed has remained, sheltering in place with his sick mother.

"We hope that this time mediators can monitor that the ceasefire is implemented," he told AFP.

A joint US-Saudi statement acknowledged the multiple truce violations since fighting began on April 15 and said this time is different.

"The agreement reached in Jeddah was signed by the parties and will be supported by a US-Saudi and international-supported ceasefire monitoring mechanism," the statement said.

Fighting pits the Sudanese army, commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Burhan's former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The UN, African Union and East African bloc IGAD all welcomed the latest truce, which comes after around 1,000 people lost their lives.

More than one million have been uprooted, internally or by crossing into neighbouring countries.

Millions more are trapped with sporadic access to water, electricity or medicine.

Many have been separated from their families by unrelenting gunfire.

The United Nations aid chief, Martin Griffiths, has decried "important and egregious" breaches of an agreement signed by the warring parties on May 12 in Jeddah to respect humanitarian principles and allow in badly needed aid.

A UN report on Sunday said there had been "at least 11 attacks against humanitarian premises in Khartoum, and four new attacks against health facilities" since the May 12 signing.

That agreement is "an integral part" of the latest ceasefire deal, a text released by the United States says.