By Abdullah Uluyurt 

KHARTOUM

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has announced the extension of an ongoing ceasefire in conflict-prone parts of the country until the end of 2018, according to the Sudan News Agency. 

It is the seventh time that the truce is extended since mid-2016, when it first came into effect between Khartoum and a handful of rebel groups. 

According to a Thursday presidential decree, the ceasefire -- which applies to all conflict-prone parts of the country -- is now set to remain in force until Dec. 31 of this year. 

The truce first came about as part of a deal between Washington and Khartoum, which also called for the lifting of longstanding U.S. sanctions on Sudan.