News24.com | Breakthrough: Sudan military leaders agree to nominate representatives for peace talks

• South Sudan's president is playing a mediation role with calls to both military leaders in Sudan.
• Warring factions are expected to nominate representatives and a preferred venue for peace talks.
• A week-long ceasefire starting on Thursday was provisionally agreed upon. 

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), armed forces of the de facto Sudanese president, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and its rival, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) loyal to Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, are expected to name their envoys for peace talks and a preferred venue in the coming days.

This was revealed by southern neighbour South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, late on Tuesday, who also announced the warring factions of the military rulership had agreed to another ceasefire lasting eight days.

He said he had "obtained the concern of the two parties" after two separate phone calls to the leaders.

In a statement, Mayardit said he emphasised to his neighbours a permanent ceasefire was the ultimate goal, and both agreed to park between May 4 and 11, while the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) bloc works with them for a lasting solution.

"President Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is the team leader of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State tasked with consultations with the Sudanese leaders, has urged the Sudanese leaders to name their representatives and propose a date to commence the talks as soon as possible," read a statement from Mayardit's office.

READ | Sudan conflict: Health sector on its knees as 70% of hospitals shut down

In anticipation of talks, South Sudan has also engaged authorities from Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Canada, and the Commonwealth to help with the humanitarian situation that has emerged as a result of two weeks of gunfire exchange punctuated by two mini-cessations that have been broken.

The Change Organisation, in its documentation of the war in Sudan, said there was no effort made by the combatants to provide safe passageways that would allow people to reconnect with their loved ones.

Civilians remain trapped in hospitals and schools that are close to SAF and RSF bases.

Armed forces are targeting medical personnel, pursuing them in their homes, and killing them for saving lives.

The availability of urgent pharmaceuticals, such as those required for the treatment of chronic conditions that require life-saving treatment, was extremely limited.

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