Two warring factions of Sudan’s military have announced a 72-hour ceasefire coinciding with the start of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Despite the announcement, residents of Sudan’s capital Khartoum and neighboring cities report gunfire and shelling have continued. The World Health Organization reports at least 413 people have been killed and more than 3,500 others injured in the week since fighting erupted between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group. Earlier today, Sudan’s top general and de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan made his first public remarks since the fighting broke out.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan: “There remains hope that we are with our great people and we will overcome this tribulation and emerge from it unified, strong and coherent. And our slogan will only get stronger: 'One army, one people.'”

In his speech, General al-Burhan claimed Sudan’s military is committed to a transition to civilian rule, even though he led the coup 18 months ago that toppled Sudan’s civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. CNN is reporting the Russian mercenary Wagner Group has been supplying Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces with missiles. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has been rotating more troops into its base in Djibouti to prepare for the possible evacuation of U.S. diplomatic personnel from Sudan.