The Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Response Forces (RSF) have agreed, after “intense” US-brokered negotiations, a 72-hour ceasefire from midnight this Mondayas reported by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

“During this period, the United States urges the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Response Forces to respect ceasefire immediately and in its entirety“, has indicated in a brief statement published in the Department of State.

Blinken has specified that Washington “will coordinate with regional and international partnersas well as civilian stakeholders to assist in the creation of a committee” to oversee the “permanent cessation of hostilities” and humanitarian assistance.”

“Full willingness to cooperate”

The agreement was subsequently confirmed by the RSF paramilitaries, which on their official Twitter profile have stated their “full willingness to cooperate, coordinate and provide all the facilities that allow expatriates and diplomatic missions to leave the country safely”.

“We affirm our commitment during the declared armistice period and warn against continueds violations of the second part (the Army of Sudan) in breach (of this),” it added in a statement.

This comes shortly after the Sudanese Army reported that the assistant to the Egyptian military attaché in Khartoum has been killed. “by the bullets of the rebel militias”, information that, however, has been denied by the Egyptian authorities.

“The Egyptian ambassador in Khartoum, Hany Sto the, confirms that all members of the Egyptian diplomatic mission are safe, including those who work in the defense office“The Embassy specified in a statement, according to Al Ahram.

During the day, the Sudanese Armed Forces also accused the RSF of “target” the citizens, destroy their houses and “engage in big battles in residential neighborhoods”, using civilians as shields.

The hostilities broke out in the context of an increase in tensions around the integration of the RSF -led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, alias ‘Hemedti’, who is also vice president of the Sovereign Transition Council– within the Forces Armed Forces, a key part of an agreement signed in December to form a new civilian government and reactivate the transition.