The governor of Sudan’s North Darfur state says a mediation team formed in the city has been successful at making warring parties reach a ceasefire and are providing basic services there.
Nimir Abdel Rahman told the BBC’s Sudan Lifeline radio station that while violations have occurred in the state from time to time, “all parties are now fully committed to the ceasefire, and fighting will not be renewed”.
He says the Mediation and Elders Committee, in collaboration with the state government, has begun providing the basic services such as water, electricity and heath care.
He says public markets are also open, while being guarded by joint forces.
So far, one medical mission has reached the city and arrangements are being made to provide food and shelter to civilians, he says.
According to an agreement between the elders’ committee and the warring forces, all humanitarian convoys “from the state of the White Nile, in the east, to North Kordofan, North Darfur and then the rest of the Sudanese states” are to be protected.
But the governor says there are no guarantees about the forces’ compliance with the agreement.
“The only guarantee we have is their respect for citizens, public utilities and the state institutions, which will be all destroyed if the fighting is resumed. Only civilians will be harmed in case the fighting is resumed.”