Lieutenant General Shams El-Din Kabbashi, a top military officer in the Sudanese army and a member of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council (STSC), told Al-Arabiya that General Command of the Armed Forces agreed to the ceasefire on the condition that the movements of RSF be monitored.

The STSC "would not accept any mediation that would impede the confrontation with the rebels," he told Al-Arabiya.

Rules of engagement

El-Kabbashi accused that the RSF of engaging in looting and using civilians as human shields.

He also charged that the RSF carried out acts of sabotage at Khartoum International Airport and disrupted air traffic.

He said the Sudanese Armed Forces is fighting a complex urban war and engaging with the opposing side according to the law.

The army is using military force only to the extent that safeguards the lives of civilians, El-Kabbashi added.

He said the Sudanese Armed Forces will restore matters to normal “as soon as possible,” adding that the army has taken control of the RSF headquarters in all states except for two.

El-Kabbashi confirmed to Al-Arabiya that General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, the Commander in Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the head of the STSC, is in “good health and directing the battle.”

He reiterated to Al-Arabiya that the commander of the RSF, Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti”, engaged in “an act of a clear rebellion."

Finally, El-Kabbashi refuted claims of any defections within the armed forces while adding that reports of defections within the RSF are “100% correct.”

On the other side, the RSF said on Tuesday afternoon that they agreed to the ceasefire based on "direct contact" with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and "the efforts of sisterly and friendly countries that made similar contacts that called on us to temporarily stop the fighting in order to open safe corridors for the passage of civilians."

Averting humanitarian disaster

Earlier today, Blinken confirmed on his twitter account that he had talks with both sides in the conflict where he emphasised the "urgent need for a ceasefire."

I spoke to both Sudanese Armed Forces Commander Burhan & Rapid Support Forces Commander Dagalo and underscored the urgent need for a ceasefire. Too many civilian lives have already been lost. Stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of diplomatic personnel and aid workers.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 18, 2023

As the fighting rages, more regional and international powers called for a ceasefire in the country to avert a humanitarian crisis in the country and allow for dialogue.

Since the start of fighting on Saturday, millions of Sudanese - in the capital and elsewhere in the country - have been hiding in homes without adequate supplies.

Many found themselves caught in the crossfire as the two warring sides battle it out in street fights using light and heavy weaponry.

More than 185 have been killed and 1,800 wounded since the fighting began, according to UN estimates.

The Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate estimated that at least 144 civilians were killed and more than 1,400 were wounded.

The overall death toll could be much higher because clashes on the streets of Khartoum have impeded the removal of bodies in some areas.

 The RSF, said that they agreed to the ceasefire based after "direct communication" with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as well as "sisterly and friendly countries that called on us to temporarily stop the fighting in order to open safe corridors for the passage of civilians."

In battle news, the Sudanese army announced on Saturday afternoon that it has taken control over the strategic Marawi Airport in the north of the country, saying RSF soldiers fled after attempting to destroy infrastructure.

The Sudanese army said earlier that the RSF was preparing to receive military aid from unspecified “foreign parties” at the airport, a claim that the rebels denied.