KHARTOUM, Sudan

The commander of the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced a two-day "unilateral" cease-fire commencing Tuesday over the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday.

"We are declaring a unilateral cease-fire, except for self-defense situations, on the eve of Eid and on the day of Eid al-Adha," Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, said Monday in an audio recording posted on Facebook.

Dagalo expressed hope that the Eid holiday would provide an opportunity for reconciliation among the Sudanese people.

Acknowledging the challenging humanitarian conditions caused by the war, he said: "We hope to emerge from the war more united and stronger."

Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, is one of the most important Muslim holidays, marking the culmination of the annual hajj (pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia.

Sudan has been ravaged by fighting between the army and RSF since mid-April in a conflict that killed nearly 1,000 civilians and injured 5,000 others, according to local medics.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that the conflict has displaced more than 2.2 million people.

Several cease-fire initiatives were announced over the past period. However, the warring parties accused each other of violating the cease-fire agreements.

*Writing by Servet Gunerigok