A Sudanese source told Al Jazeera that the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support are discussing in the Saudi city of Jeddah a new truce related to Eid al-Adha, at a time when the current truce ends on Wednesday morning, while the army published pictures of what appears to be a large fire at the intelligence headquarters in the capital, Khartoum.

An informed Sudanese source told Al Jazeera that the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces are discussing Jeddah's approval of a new prolonged truce related to Eid al-Adha, as the three-day truce draws to an end.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed on Tuesday with the head of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the commander of the Support Forces Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti), calm in the country, stopping all forms of military escalation and resorting to a political solution.

This came during two separate phone calls bin Farhan had with Burhan and Hemedti, according to statements by the Saudi Foreign Ministry, hours before the end of a 3-day humanitarian truce in Sudan, which observers expect to be extended on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, corresponding to June 28.


According to the two statements, during the call, they discussed the latest developments in Sudan, where the Foreign Minister stressed the importance of the commitment of all Sudanese parties to restore the course of humanitarian work, protect civilians and relief workers, and the safety of humanitarian corridors for the delivery of basic aid.

Since May 6, Saudi Arabia and the United States have been sponsoring talks between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which resulted on May 11 in Jeddah between the two sides to commit to protecting civilians, and the announcement of more than one truce during which violations and recriminations occurred between the parties to the conflict, prompting Riyadh and Washington to suspend negotiations.

Although clashes between the army and the RSF have decreased during the current truce days, areas of Khartoum have witnessed light weapons battles, and tribal fighting has continued in areas of the western Darfur region and expanded with more casualties.

Intelligence headquarters

On Tuesday, Sudan's military released photos of what appeared to be a major fire at the intelligence headquarters in Khartoum. The intelligence headquarters is located in the same compound as the Ministry of Defence, the General Command of the Armed Forces and a presidential residence.

The RSF accused the army of bombing the General Intelligence headquarters with drones on Tuesday evening "in violation of the truce", according to a RSF statement.

The same statement explained that "the army bombed the headquarters of the General Intelligence Service in Khartoum, which is located within the areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces."

The RSF considered that "the bombing and burning of the presidency of the General Intelligence Service is a blatant attempt to obliterate the traces of their dirty work documents that were practiced throughout their hateful reign."

In a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement and the humanitarian truce, the putschists bombarded with drones and artillery this evening, the headquarters of the General Intelligence Service in Khartoum, which is located within the areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces.
The systematic bombardments by putschists and remnants of the public and private facilities aim to...

— Rapid Support Forces (RSF) (@RSFSudan) June 20, 2023

There was no explanation from the Sudanese army about the cause and circumstances of the fire at the headquarters of the General Intelligence Directorate.

In a related context, Mauritanian media reported that gunmen stormed the Mauritanian embassy building in Khartoum on Tuesday and looted its contents, where they seized 3 cars belonging to the ambassador and embassy staff.

There was no comment from Nouakchott on the storming of the embassy building in the Sudanese capital.

Humanitarian Aid

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country and Saudi Arabia continue to communicate with the Sudanese parties on a daily basis to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

In a statement, Blinken called on the Sudanese authorities to remove barriers and ensure humanitarian access to save lives and alleviate suffering.

Washington has allocated about $172 million in additional humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan and neighboring countries suffering from the effects of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations said on Tuesday that fighting in Sudan had displaced more than 2.5 million Sudanese, between displaced people and refugees, especially in the Darfur region where streets are full of corpses.

Since mid-April, Khartoum and other cities have been witnessing clashes between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support, leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured among civilians, while regional and international mediation continues attempts to reach a permanent ceasefire.