Warring Sudan factions to enter a weeklong truce + peace talks are on the table: The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to a seven-day ceasefire starting tomorrow through to Thursday, 11 May, the South Sudanese government said in a statementyesterday.

Previous ceasefires failed to hold: Ceasefires have ostensibly been in place since 25 April,but the fighting hasn’t stopped for a single day since the conflict started almost three weeks ago.

Could peace talks actually be happening? The two sides have agreed to name representatives to take part in peace talks “to be held at an agreed venue of their choice,” the statement said.

Military reiterates that things are stable: The “operational situation is stable throughout the country apart from sporadic clashes with rebel militia,” the armed forces said in a statement.

But the RSF claims to have taken control of most of Khartoum: The paramilitary group saidyesterday that it was in control of 90% of Khartoum state, a claim that has not been independently verified.

The extended ceasefire came on the same day as talks in Cairo: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry yesterday held talks in Cairo with an envoy of Sudan’s de facto leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Shoukry called for both sides to commit to a ceasefire and the start of negotiations, the ministry said.

Calls with US + EU chief diplomats: Shoukry yesterday discussed bringing an end to the fighting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell. Blinken told Shoukry that the US is ready to provide support to help Egypt handle the influx of refugees. Meanwhile, El Sisi discussed bringing about a ceasefire with his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto, Ittihadiya said.

Death toll rises: The civil war has killed at least 550 people and injured around 5k others as of 1 May, the Sudanese Health Ministry said. It has become more difficult for those suffering injuries to seek the necessary medical aid, with airstrikes hitting the country’s hospitals, the Guardian reported.

The war has so far made refugees out of some 100k Sudanese people who have fled to Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic, according to the latest figures from the UN. Egypt has taken in around 20% of Sudan’s refugees, with latest unofficial reports putting the number between 20kand 25k. Some 330k people have been internally displaced since the fighting erupted, the UN said.

EL SISI ON SUDAN-

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi gave a rare interview to a foreign journalist coinciding with the visit of Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, earlier this week. In his conversation with Ashahi Shimbun, the president discussed his government’s response to the conflict in Sudan and the ongoing diplomatic realignment in the region.

Egypt is struggling with refugees: “Many Sudanese are fleeing to Egypt and we are facing challenges,” the president said, noting that Egypt has received 8-9 mn people from Libya, Syria and Yemen in recent years. “If we were to accept even more Sudanese, Egypt will definitely feel the effects.”

A non-interference policy: “We will not interfere in the domestic politics of other nations because we do not want to further complicate the situation,” he said, adding that Egypt will provide support for dialogue between the warring parties, establish a temporary civilian government, and hold elections.

An Egyptian-Japanese mediated ceasefire? El Sisi said he was open to working with Japan to mediate a ceasefire in Sudan.

SUDAN = THE CONVERSATION ON EGYPT

The conversation on Egypt in the international press is dominated by the situation in Sudan as refugees continue to flee to Egypt and other neighboring countries. Reuters and the Associated Press have more coverage of the struggles faced by those crossing the border — including limited access to food and water, as well as high transportation costs.

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