By Abdullah Uluyurt

KHARTOUM

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday announced a three-month extension of an ongoing ceasefire in conflict-prone parts of the country, according to the Sudan News Agency (SUNA).

It is the sixth such extension since mid-2016, when the ceasefire first came into effect between the Sudanese government and a handful of rebel groups.

According to a presidential decree issued on Wednesday, the ceasefire will remain in force until June 30.

The truce applies to Sudan's South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, along with the western Darfur region.

The ceasefire arose as part of a deal between Washington and Khartoum that also calls for the lifting of longstanding U.S. sanctions on Sudan.