The government of South Sudan announced, on Tuesday, that the commander of the Sudanese army, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Muhammad Hamdan Daglo, “Hamedti,” agreed “in principle” on a new 7-day armistice that begins next Thursday, and to name representatives for them to engage in peace negotiations.
This came in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Sudan, which confirmed that the conflicting parties in Sudan "agreed to the truce", based on the intervention and request of the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit.
The statement stated that the new truce begins next Thursday night, and will expire by May 11.
He quoted the President of South Sudan as asking the parties to the conflict in Sudan to start peace talks "as soon as possible."
South Sudan revealed the agreement of the conflicting parties in Sudan to calm down, following phone calls that Mayardit made today with Al-Burhan and Hamidti.
In the phone calls, Mayardit focused on the necessity of "establishing a long-term truce, and choosing an agreed-upon place between the conflicting parties in order to hold peace negotiations."
The South Sudanese Foreign Ministry said in its statement that the conflicting parties in Sudan must "choose the place where they want to witness the peace talks between them."
In this context, the statement indicated that South Sudan's initiative to resolve the crisis in Sudan came in the wake of multiple contacts with a number of international partners, including officials from Egypt, Uganda, Kenya, Canada and the United Kingdom.
He also indicated that the talks between Juba and international partners on Sudan also touched on the issue of delivering humanitarian aid to the Sudanese, in addition to the evacuations of foreign nationals.
It is noteworthy that several media reports spoke, on Monday, of the possibility of Saudi Arabia hosting peace talks between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The new truce announced by South Sudan is the fourth since the outbreak of clashes in Sudan, as previous agreements were reached under Saudi-US auspices.
Since last April 15, states in Sudan have been witnessing massive clashes between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the "Quick Support" led by Muhammad Hamdan Daglo "Hamidati", in which the two sides exchange accusations of being responsible for the outbreak after an attempt by forces affiliated with each to control centers belonging to the other.
Sudan the death toll has risen to 447 since the outbreak of clashes
The Sudan Doctors Syndicate announced, on Tuesday, that the number of civilian deaths has risen to 447 since the beginning of the clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces on April 15.
"The number of deaths has risen to 447, and 2,255 injuries among civilians, since the beginning of the clashes," the (non-governmental) Medical Syndicate said in a statement.
The latest death toll announced by the Syndicate on Monday was 436 dead and 2,175 injured since the beginning of the clashes.
The Syndicate stated that "the clashes are still taking place between the Rapid Support Forces and the Armed Forces for the seventeenth day in a row, which resulted in more victims being counted until the moment the report was issued in the capital and the regions."
She added, "There are many injuries and deaths that are not included in this inventory, and she was unable to reach hospitals due to the difficulty of movement and the security situation in the country."
Until 13:30 (GMT), the Sudanese authorities did not issue a comment on the medical union's statement.
Since mid-April, Sudanese states have witnessed large-scale clashes between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, "Hamidti".
The "Quick Support" forces were established in 2013 to support government forces in their fight against the armed rebel movements in the Darfur region (west), and then assumed tasks, including combating illegal immigration across borders and preserving the country's security.
They died of starvation Two priests appear before the judiciary after finding mass graves for their congregation
Two Kenyan priests accused of inciting their followers to starve themselves to death face charges of "terrorism" after the death of more than 100 people whose bodies were found in what has become known as the "Chakahola Forest Massacre", prosecutors announced after a court hearing on Tuesday.
And the discovery of this mass grave last month in a forest near the coastal town of Malindi on the Indian Ocean shocked this country, whose majority of its population is Christian.
Before the Malindi court, Pastor Paul Nthingi Mackenzie, who founded the "Good News" church in 2003, is accused of inciting his followers to starve to death "to meet Jesus."
The hall was crowded with relatives of the victims, while six policemen took McKenzie and eight other defendants.
So far, a total of 109 people have been confirmed dead, most of them children, while the first autopsies were conducted on Monday for the bodies of nine children and a woman.
An autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was hunger, noting that some of the victims died of suffocation, according to the authorities.
After a short hearing, the case was transferred to the High Court in Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city, where the suspects will face terrorism charges, prosecutor Vivian Kambaga told AFP.
"There is a court (in Mombasa) that is authorized to hear cases under the Prevention of Terrorism Act," she told the court in Malindi. She demanded that the case be transferred to the Supreme Court.
In addition to the terrorism charges, McKenzie will face charges of murder, kidnapping and cruel treatment of children, among other crimes, according to court documents.
innocent and weak
Wealthy priest Ezequiel Odero, known for his sermons on television, also appeared in court in Mombasa, following his arrest last Thursday.
Odero is suspected of murder, assisted suicide, kidnapping, extremism, crimes against humanity, child abuse, fraud and money laundering.
The court in Mombasa on Tuesday allowed the police to hold Odero until a hearing scheduled for May 4. The prosecution's request to detain him for an additional 30 days was denied.
The prosecution points to reliable information linking the bodies found at Chakahola to the deaths of several "innocent and vulnerable followers" of the New Life Church he founded.
While a lawyer for Reverend Odero, Cliff Ompita, confirmed to reporters on Tuesday that there was no evidence linking him to the bodies in Chakahola. He added, "Evidence must be presented. This is a case that must be proven."
McKenzie, the former taxi driver, turned himself in on April 14, after police went on a tip-off to Chakahola Forest, where 30 mass graves were found.
Prosecutors confirm the connection between Odero and Mackenzie, and say in court documents that the two share a "history of business investments" including a television station used to broadcast "extremist messages" targeting their followers.
Tags:
africaaustralia