Sudan's Army Agrees to Extend Truce for 72 Hours

A burned vehicle is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, April 26, 2023. (Reuters Photo)
A burned vehicle is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, April 26, 2023. (Reuters Photo)
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Sudan's Army Agrees to Extend Truce for 72 Hours

A burned vehicle is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, April 26, 2023. (Reuters Photo)
A burned vehicle is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, April 26, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

The Sudanese army said in a statement on Sunday that it had agreed to extend a truce with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for a period of 72 hours, starting from the end of the current ceasefire arrangement.

The army said that although the RSF had intended to try to attack some sites it hoped that it would abide by the ceasefire.

According to a statement released by the RSF spokesman, the humanitarian truce was extended on Sunday and will last for three days starting from midnight.

"In response to international, regional and local calls, we announce the extension of the humanitarian truce for 72 hours, starting from midnight tonight, in order to open humanitarian corridors and facilitate the movement of citizens and residents and enable them to fulfil their needs and reach safe areas," the statement said.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded since a long-simmering power struggle between the Sudanese army and the RSF erupted into conflict on April 15.



Iraq Holds Kurdish Government Legally Responsible for Continued Oil Smuggling

Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo
Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo
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Iraq Holds Kurdish Government Legally Responsible for Continued Oil Smuggling

Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo
Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo

Iraq's oil ministry said on Thursday it holds the Kurdish regional government (KRG) legally responsible for the continued smuggling of oil from the Kurdish region outside the country.

The ministry reserves the right to take all legal measures in the matter, it added.

Control over oil and gas has long been a source of tension between Baghdad and Erbil, Reuters reported.

Iraq is under pressure from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut output to compensate for having produced more than its agreed volume. OPEC counts oil flows from Kurdistan as part of Iraq's quota.

In a ruling issued in 2022, Iraq's federal court deemed an oil and gas law regulating the oil industry in Iraqi Kurdistan unconstitutional and demanded that Kurdish authorities hand over their crude oil supplies.

The ministry said the KRG’s failure to comply with the law has hurt both oil exports and public revenue, forcing Baghdad to cut output from other fields to meet OPEC quotas.

The ministry added that it had urged the KRG to hand over crude produced from its fields, warning that failure to do so could result in significant financial losses and harm the country’s international reputation and oil commitments.

Negotiations to resume Kurdish oil exports via the Iraq-Türkiye oil pipeline, which once handled about 0.5% of global oil supply, have stalled over payment terms and contract details.