Overview of seven-day Sudan ceasefire agreement signed in Jeddah

The warring sides in Sudan have agreed on a short-term ceasefire agreement that goes into effect on Monday evening in a Saudi-US-led attempt to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the country.

The seven-day agreement on a short-term ceasefire and humanitarian arrangements, which was agreed on by the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Saturday evening, will go into effect at 9:45 p.m. local time Monday.

The ceasefire this time will be supported by a US-Saudi and international ceasefire monitoring mechanism in order to ensure that both sides are adhering to their commitments.

Here is an overview of the deal signed which consists of four main points that focus on protecting civilians and ensuring that no party breaks the ceasefire.

1. General provisions

Both sides agree that the aim of this agreement is to achieve a short-term ceasefire to ensure that urgent humanitarian services are being delivered to those in need, according to the full text shared by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The parties said that they commit to evacuate and abstain from controlling any public facility such as hospitals, water and electricity departments and refrain from using them for military purposes.

The sides, as per the agreement, also noted that if they agree to an extension of the ceasefire, they should inform the monitoring committee of their intentions to do so 48 hours before the deadline ends.

2. Ceasefire

The warring sides agreed to take advantage of the hours remaining before the ceasefire goes into effect on Monday to inform their factions of the conditions of the signed agreement, urge them and guarantee that they will fully adhere to the ceasefire.

The ceasefire will be applied across all of Sudan where both sides will inform the residents about the short-term agreement through media platforms. The sides also agreed that during this period, civilians will have the right to move freely across the country and they will be protected from any form of assault.

Military groups belonging to both sides should also guarantee that neither side will undertake any action such as artillery attacks, sniper fire, attacking civilian and humanitarian planes, use medical vehicles such as ambulances for military purposes or attack neighborhoods and infrastructure.

Rather, both sides should commit to matters such as facilitating the humanitarian work of aid and relief organizations.

3. Humanitarian arrangements

With regards to the humanitarian aspect of the agreement, both sides underscored their commitment to international laws and laws that protect human rights. The sides reiterate their guarantee that aid and relief services will be handed out to those in need without any obstacles or barriers where safe passages will be secured for the safety of aid workers.

The parties also agree to provide the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with all information and details related on all detainees and prisoners that were arrested or detained because of the conflict and enable the ICRC to carry out its work.

4. Ceasefire monitoring and coordination committee

The committee will be formed of three representatives for each of Saudi Arabia and the US and three representatives for each of the warring side. Each party will assign their respective representatives and share their names with the Kingdom and the US.

The committee is expected to maintain regular and direct calls with the Sudanese army and the RSF.

The committee, as per the agreement, will also welcome calls from the different sides involved including the ICRC and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs about violations to the ceasefire or any action that might jeopardize it.

In this regard, the committee is expected to provide a complaint platform to address any allegations of violations and mediate any hurdles that might occur.

In case the committee decided that a violation of the agreement did take place, it has the jurisdiction to act accordingly, according to the agreement. It will also be tasked with assisting in facilitating the flow of humanitarian services and goods to the Sudanese people.