This archive report was first published on 16 October 2019.
On October 16, 2019, Sudan's ruling sovereign council announced a permanent ceasefire in the country's war zones, in a bid to show its commitment to peace.
The announcement came as a key rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N), threatened to pull out of peace talks, accusing government forces of bombing its territory.
The SPLM-N had been participating in peace talks in Juba, South Sudan, alongside the government and other rebel groups, in a bid to end the conflict in Darfur, Blue Nile, and South Kordofan states.
However, the group claimed that government forces had continued to attack its territory despite an unofficial ceasefire, which had been in place since the ousting of former President Omar al-Bashir in April.
"General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has announced a permanent ceasefire to show that the government is committed to peace," the sovereign council said in a statement.
"The ceasefire is valid from the signing of this declaration."
"General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has announced a permanent ceasefire to show that the government is committed to peace," the sovereign council said in a statement. "The ceasefire is valid from the signing of this declaration." Despite the announcement, the SPLM-N said it would not participate in the peace talks unless the government withdrew its forces from the Nuba mountains. The conflict in the three states has left hundreds of thousands of people dead and millions displaced, severely impacting Sudan's economy.
