Former Sudanese PM appeals for truce

At a press conference in Abu Dhabi, former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok urged the warring sides in Sudan to stop the ongoing armed conflict.

He called on the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to immediately end hostilities and announce a truce that allows safe corridors for civilians.

Hamdok described the situation as "catastrophic" but added that he was still optimistic about a peaceful resolution.

He appealed to the commanders of the warring sides to return to the negotiating table and called on Arab and African countries to support the process.

While highlighting the worsening humanitarian situation in Sudan, the ex-PM said that people are continuing to suffer due to the deteriorating economy, shortage of food and medicines and disruption in water and electricity services.

"Peace is the only option before the Sudanese people to avoid slipping the country into a civil war,'' Hamdok said during the press conference.

The fighting in Sudan erupted on Saturday between army units loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the country's transitional governing Sovereign Council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who is deputy head of the council.