Khartoum, Apr 17 (IANS): The Sudanese Army has said that it agreed on a proposal by the UN to open safe passage for humanitarian cases, for a period of three hours, starting from 4:00 p.m. local time (1400 GMT).

"The Sudanese Armed Forces has agreed on a proposal by the UN to open safe passage for humanitarian cases, for three hours, starting from 4:00 p.m.," the general command of the Sudanese Army said in a statement on Sunday.

It added that the move "does not cancel the Army's right to respond to any violations by the rebel militia".

Violent clashes erupted on Saturday between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital Khartoum and other cities, where the two sides traded accusations of initiating the conflict, Xinhua news agency reported.

The tension between the two military forces has escalated since Wednesday in the Merowe region in northern Sudan, after the RSF moved military vehicles to a location near the military air base there, a move that the Army considered illegal.

Deep differences have emerged between the Sudanese Army and the RSF, particularly regarding the latter's integration into the Army as stipulated in a framework agreement signed between military and civilian leaders on December 5, 2022.