World Bulletin / News Desk

President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday ordered a three-month extension of an ongoing cease-fire in conflict-prone parts of the country, according to the Sudan News Agency (SUNA).

It is the fifth such extension since mid-2016, when a cease-fire came into effect between Khartoum and a handful of rebel groups.

The truce applies to Sudan's South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, along with the western Darfur region.

The cease-fire arose as part of a deal between Washington and Khartoum that also called for the lifting of 20-year-old U.S. sanctions on Sudan.