Sudan’s warring generals reached an agreement for a seven-day truce

Leaders of Sudan’s warring army and paramilitary forces agreed to a seven-day truce from May 4 to 11 in a phone call with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, the ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

“General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane (…) and General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo (…) have agreed in principle to a seven-day truce from May 4 to 11,” the ministry said in a statement.

The two men also “gave their agreement (…) to appoint representatives for peace negotiations to be held in the place of their choice”, the statement said. None of the previous truces was respected by the belligerents.

The conflict has plunged the country, one of the poorest in the world, into a “real disaster”, according to the UN.

More than 330,000 people have been displaced and 100,000 others have left for neighboring countries, according to the UN, which expects eight times more refugees. Those who remain endure water, electricity and food shortages in Khartoum, one of the hottest cities in the world.