KHARTOUM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo Saturday called for a ceasefire to facilitate the opening of humanitarian passages.

"We praise the regional and international efforts, and we hope to reach a cease-fire that facilitates the opening of humanitarian corridors to enable the citizens to obtain basic services," Dagalo tweeted on Saturday.

"We welcome the joint statement by Saudi Arabia and the United States regarding the beginning of talks between the Sudanese parties in Jeddah city," he said.

The commander stressed his adherence to the establishment of a civilian transitional government for instituting a sustainable democratic transition that would achieve the people's aspiration for security, stability, and development.

Talks between the Sudanese army and the RSF are scheduled to begin Saturday in the Saudi city of Jeddah under a Saudi-American initiative to end the conflict in the African country.

On Friday, the army said that it had sent negotiators to Jeddah to discuss the humanitarian truce as part of the initiative.

The RSF has not officially confirmed that it had sent negotiators to Jeddah, though local media reports said so.

The deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF have entered a fourth week, leaving at least 550 people dead and 4,926 others wounded, according to the country's health ministry. Enditem