Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have accepted a proposal from the United States and Arab nations for a humanitarian ceasefire and are willing to engage in discussions about halting hostilities, according to a statement released on Thursday. Previous attempts at ceasefires between the RSF and the Sudanese army have not been successful over the course of their 2½-year conflict. The U.S. government under President Donald Trump has been actively involved in seeking an end to the violence in Sudan.
The recent announcement, to which the Sudanese army has not yet responded, comes after the RSF took control of the famine-stricken city of El Fasher, the last military stronghold in the Darfur region that had been under siege for more than 18 months. The RSF expressed readiness to implement the agreement and start discussions on the terms of a ceasefire and the core principles guiding the political process in Sudan, as stated in the RSF’s official statement.
While the Security and Defense Council led by the army met earlier this week without providing a definitive answer to the proposal, key figures and supporters within the army have voiced their opposition to the ceasefire proposal. A Sudanese military official, speaking anonymously to The Associated Press, mentioned that the army supports the proposal but insists on the complete withdrawal of the RSF from civilian areas and surrender of weapons, as outlined in previous peace initiatives.
Massad Boulos, a U.S. adviser on African affairs, disclosed that efforts were underway in collaboration with both the Sudanese army and RSF to establish a humanitarian truce, with an imminent announcement expected. Boulos revealed that the proposed plan, led by the U.S., entails a three-month humanitarian ceasefire followed by a nine-month political process.
The conflict between the RSF and the military originated in 2023 following a breakdown in their partnership intended to oversee a democratic transition after the 2019 uprising. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported at least 40,000 fatalities and 12 million displacements due to the conflict, with humanitarian organizations emphasizing the severity of Sudan’s displacement crisis. Recent events in El Fasher, including reported killings and abductions by the RSF, have raised international concerns.
The RSF’s leadership has dismissed allegations of misconduct, attributing them to misinformation spread by the army and its allies to mask their defeat in El Fasher. Despite the denials, reports from various sources have documented instances of violence and human rights abuses in the region. The situation has escalated to the extent that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has declared a man-made famine in El Fasher and another region, underscoring the urgent need for humanitarian intervention to prevent further suffering.
The Islamic Relief organization has warned of the imminent collapse of community kitchens that provide essential support to families, with a significant portion of families in east and west Sudan facing severe food shortages. Efforts are underway to facilitate the delivery of aid to vulnerable communities through the establishment of secure humanitarian corridors, with hopes of resolving the crisis and averting a catastrophic loss of life due to hunger.