KHARTOUM, Sudan/ANKARA 

Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Friday approved a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in the city of El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur state in western Sudan.

The decision came following a phone call from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to a statement from the Sovereign Council.

Guterres requested the implementation of a week-long truce in the besieged city of El-Fasher to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need.

The statement said Burhan agreed to the ceasefire and emphasized the importance of enforcing relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The Sovereign Council’s statement did not specify when the ceasefire would begin.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has not issued any immediate comment.

Since May 10, 2024, fierce clashes have erupted between Sudanese army forces and the RSF in El-Fasher, despite international warnings about the fighting in the city, a crucial hub for humanitarian operations across the five Darfur states.

Separately, the Sovereign Council welcomed Kamel Idris' appointment as prime minister, describing it as a step toward completing the country's civilian transition.

Idris was sworn in by Burhan on May 31, following a constitutional decree issued on May 19.

A politician with a PhD in international law from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, Idris was also a 2010 presidential candidate.

The army and RSF have been fighting a war since mid-April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 victims and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.