Smoke rises over Khartoum on Thursday as fighting continues. AP
Smoke rises over Khartoum on Thursday as fighting continues. AP
Smoke rises over Khartoum on Thursday as fighting continues. AP
Smoke rises over Khartoum on Thursday as fighting continues. AP

US and Saudi Arabia broker 'final attempt' at ceasefire in Sudan


Amr Mostafa
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Saudi Arabia and the US on Friday announced a tentative 24-hour truce between the warring parties in Sudan, but the two brokers are warning that any breach could end the Jeddah talks.

The cessation of hostilities will begin on Saturday.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America announce that representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces agreed to a 24-hour countrywide ceasefire beginning on June 10 at 6am Khartoum time,” a joint statement said.

The facilitators share the frustration of the Sudanese people about the uneven implementation of previous ceasefires
US-Saudi statement

The parties agreed to refrain from attacks, the use of aircraft or drones, aerial bombardment, artillery strikes, reinforcement of positions and the resupplying of forces. They will also not seek military advantage during the 24 hours, the two mediators said.

They also agreed to allow the unimpeded movement and delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout the country.

“The facilitators share the frustration of the Sudanese people about the uneven implementation of previous ceasefires,” they said.

The latest initiative has been proposed in an effort to break the cycle of violence, they added.

The army confirmed in a statement that it had agreed to the 24-hour ceasefire while asserting "its right to respond to any violations". The RSF said in a statement it was committed to respecting the truce.

If observed, the ceasefire will provide an important opportunity to deliver humanitarian assistance and for the parties to take confidence-building measures, which could allow resumption of the Jeddah talks.

The mediators warned that if the parties fail to observe the ceasefire, they will be compelled to consider adjourning talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Both sides have broken a string of ceasefire agreements, although a recent truce deal did let in limited amounts of humanitarian aid, agencies said.

Friday's announcement comes a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he held discussions on Sudan with top Saudi officials.

The conflict has reduced the capital Khartoum to an urban battlefield, with many districts of the city without running water or electricity.

There have been reports of widespread looting and sexual violence in Khartoum and the western Darfur region, which have experienced some of the worst fighting in the conflict. Many of the reported cases of sexual assaults were blamed on the RSF, which has not responded to requests for comment.

According to Shabia Mantoo, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency, almost two million people have been displaced by the conflict. Of those, about 1.42 million are displaced within Sudan and about 451,000 have left the country, including refugees from South Sudan who have returned home, she said in Geneva on Friday.

Meanwhile, the global humanitarian aid group, Mercy Corps, said the conflict could trigger a catastrophic food crisis and disease outbreaks in the coming months.

June is the beginning of Sudan's three-month rainy season, in which scores of people were killed last year.

The conflict has derailed the launch of a transition towards civilian rule four years after a popular uprising ousted longtime president Omar Al Bashir.

Sudan's army and the RSF are in conflict over the chain of command and the military's restruction plans under the transition.

WHAT IS GRAPHENE?

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. 

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Scoreline

UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia

UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’

Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’

Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)

Updated: June 09, 2023, 4:41 PM