In Sudan, warring parties have agreed to a new seven-day ceasefire set to start Thursday. South Sudan, which is acting as a mediator, said Sudan’s ruling army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces would also appoint envoys for peace talks. But air raids and shooting continued in Khartoum, and fierce battles are raging in Darfur, leading to mass displacement. The death toll from the 19-day-old conflict has reached at least 550 people, with another 5,000 injured. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme is warning the crisis in Sudan could lead to a wider disaster in the region as tens of thousands of people flee the country.
Brenda Kariuki: “The ripple effect for the region is significant. It’s a real concern, and we just need to find peace. We need the two parties to the conflict to come together and find a way to resolve the conflict, because this has the possibility of destabilizing the whole region.”