The warring military factions in Sudan have agreed to a three-day ceasefire starting midnight Monday as many countries have begun to evacuate civilians from the battle-scarred African country.

“Following intense negotiation over the past 48 hours, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to implement a nationwide ceasefire starting at midnight on April 24, to last for 72 hours,” U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Monday in a written statement.

Previous ceasefires had failed as the brutal fighting, entering a second week, has killed at least 427 people and wounded more than 3,700, according to UN agencies.

Hours before Mr Blinken’s announcement, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres had warned that the violence “risks a catastrophic conflagration within Sudan that could engulf the whole region and beyond.”

He, however, called on the UN Security Council members to exert maximum leverage.

In a statement on Monday, the RSF said it had agreed to the truce to “open humanitarian corridors, facilitate the movement of citizens and residents” and enable them to “fulfil their needs, reach hospitals and safe areas, and evacuate diplomatic missions.”

Over the weekend, countries had evacuated their diplomats and citizens as fighting raged in densely populated parts of the capital.

Brief lulls in the conflict have allowed foreign civilians to flee Sudan safely.

The current three-day ceasefire, if it endures, might generate a chance to deliver essential resources such as food and medical supplies to those in need.

(xinhua/NAN)