Red Cross Announces Release of Soldiers Detained by Rapid Support Forces

The International Committee of the Red Cross announced today, Thursday, that it "mediated the release of 125 Sudanese soldiers held by the Rapid Support Forces, which have been fighting the Sudanese army since April." The committee stated that the release of the soldiers, which took place yesterday, Wednesday, came at the request of both parties to the conflict. Jean-Christophe Sandoz, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross mission in Sudan, confirmed in a statement the organization's readiness to "act as a neutral mediator for the release of detainees from all sides of the conflict when requested." The war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces has caused a major humanitarian crisis, displacing nearly 2.8 million people, with about 650,000 fleeing to neighboring countries.