Sudanese Army Says Its Forces Have Withdrawn from Wad Madani

Displaced people fleeing from Wad Madani in Sudan's Jazira state arrive in Gedaref in the country's east on December 19, 2023. (AFP)
Displaced people fleeing from Wad Madani in Sudan's Jazira state arrive in Gedaref in the country's east on December 19, 2023. (AFP)
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Sudanese Army Says Its Forces Have Withdrawn from Wad Madani

Displaced people fleeing from Wad Madani in Sudan's Jazira state arrive in Gedaref in the country's east on December 19, 2023. (AFP)
Displaced people fleeing from Wad Madani in Sudan's Jazira state arrive in Gedaref in the country's east on December 19, 2023. (AFP)

The Sudanese army said in a statement on Tuesday that its forces have withdrawn from positions in Wad Madani city, adding that it will investigate the reasons for the withdrawal.

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took over Wad Madani, a city packed with displaced people and an aid hub, earlier this week.

The war between the army and the RSF has displaced nearly 7 million people, left the capital in ruins, caused a major humanitarian crisis and triggered waves of ethnically driven killings in Darfur.

The two forces had shared power with civilians after the 2019 overthrow of former leader Omar al-Bashir before staging a coup together in 2021 then coming to blows over an internationally backed political transition plan.

The International Organization for Migration says that clashes between the RSF and the army around Wad Madani have led to widespread displacement in recent days.

Nearly 1.5 million have fled Sudan and more than 5.4 million have been forced from their homes internally, according to the IOM, making Sudan the country with the highest number of displaced people in the world.



Hamas, Two Other Palestinian Groups Say Gaza Ceasefire Deal 'Closer Than Ever'

Palestinians inspect damages in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, following a Hamas surprise attack, at Beach refugee camp, in Gaza City, October 9, 2023. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect damages in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, following a Hamas surprise attack, at Beach refugee camp, in Gaza City, October 9, 2023. (Reuters)
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Hamas, Two Other Palestinian Groups Say Gaza Ceasefire Deal 'Closer Than Ever'

Palestinians inspect damages in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, following a Hamas surprise attack, at Beach refugee camp, in Gaza City, October 9, 2023. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect damages in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, following a Hamas surprise attack, at Beach refugee camp, in Gaza City, October 9, 2023. (Reuters)

Hamas and two other Palestinian militant groups said on Saturday that a Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel is "closer than ever", provided Israel does not impose new conditions.

"The possibility of reaching an agreement (for a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal) is closer than ever, provided the enemy stops imposing new conditions," Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said in a rare joint statement issued after talks in Cairo on Friday.

Last week, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States were held in Doha, rekindling hope of an agreement.

A Hamas leader told AFP on Saturday that talks had made "significant and important progress" in recent days.

"Most points related to the ceasefire and prisoner exchange issues have been agreed upon," he said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.

"Some unresolved points remain, but they do not hinder the process. The agreement could be finalized before the end of this year, provided it is not disrupted by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's new conditions."