Khartoum - On April 25th, 2023, a ceasefire agreement was implemented in Sudan following several outbreaks of violence that occurred earlier in the month.

This marks the third attempt at a suspension of fighting, with the previous two failing to hold.

According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a 72-hour pause in fighting after two days of negotiations.

While this is a positive development, the death toll since the conflict began on April 15th has reached 400 people, and the situation on the ground remains volatile.

Both sides in the conflict have independently announced their participation in the ceasefire. However, the conflict has caused widespread disruption and displacement, with many Sudanese citizens fleeing the country in search of safety.

One such individual is Eiman ab Garga, a British-Sudanese gynaecologist who was visiting the capital with her children when the fighting broke out. She has since been evacuated to Djibouti on a flight organized by France. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World Tonight programme, she expressed concern about the unsanitary conditions in Sudan and the potential for outbreaks of illness and disease due to overflowing sewage and a lack of medical facilities.

The conflict erupted primarily in Khartoum, with rival military factions vying for control of Sudan. Since a 2021 coup, Sudan has been governed by a council of generals, including Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who serves as head of the armed forces and de facto president, and Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, who leads the RSF.

Disagreements between Gen Burhan and Gen Dagalo over the direction of the country and the proposed move towards civilian rule are at the heart of the conflict. The inclusion of the 100,000-strong RSF into the army and who would lead the new force remain key points of contention.

Gen Dagalo has accused Gen Burhan's government of being "radical Islamists" and claims that he and the RSF are fighting for the democratic progress that Sudan has long yearned for. However, many are skeptical of this message given the RSF's brutal track record.

While Gen Burhan has expressed support for the return to civilian rule, he has insisted that he will only relinquish power to an elected government.

The implementation of the ceasefire agreement is a step towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict, but it remains to be seen whether it will hold and whether the parties involved can reach a lasting agreement.