Sudan’s military and its paramilitary rival each have announced that they will abide by a 24-hour ceasefire, starting on the evening of Wednesday, April 18, 2023, after a previous attempt at a truce failed a day earlier.

On Tuesday night, April 17, a similar attempt at a pause ended abruptly, and it was uncertain whether the new attempt would succeed.

The army and the paramilitaries RSF engaged in combat for a fifth day earlier on Wednesday in the Al-Taif neighbourhood near the Khartoum International Airport.

The Merowe airbase, which the rival Rapid Response Forces claimed to control, is said to have been taken back by the Sundanese military north of the capital.

Video from the Merowe airbase showing damage to the control tower, terminals, hangars, and fire engines was broadcast on the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV.

The U.N. reports that at least 296 people have died since Saturday but the actual number is probably higher because so many bodies have been left in the streets where they can’t be found because of fighting.

The violence has kept Sudanese citizens inside for days; on the eve of Eid-El-Fitr celebrations, there is no sign of relief and they share with their neighbours.

Residents of Khartoum have started to leave. According to reports, the foreign ministry of Uganda is attempting to evacuate tourists, workers, and students from Sudan.

In a country where violence has continued since Saturday despite calls for a cease-fire, Japan became the first nation to take such action on Wednesday, April 19, announcing that it was getting ready to evacuate its citizens from Sudan.