DARFUR, Sudan: Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Thursday it had agreed to a humanitarian truce with the Sudanese army, proposed by a US-led mediation group known as the Quad.
The announcement came just days after the RSF seized control of El-Fasher, the Sudanese army’s last stronghold in the western Darfur region, following an 18-month siege.
In a statement, the RSF said it accepted the ceasefire “in response to the aspirations and interests of the Sudanese people” and to “address the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the war and enhance the protection of civilians.”
The paramilitary group said the truce would “ensure the urgent delivery of humanitarian assistance to all Sudanese people.”
The RSF also expressed readiness to “immediately commence discussions on the arrangements for a cessation of hostilities.”
A Sudanese military official, cited by the Associated Press, said that the army would only agree to a ceasefire if it included the withdrawal of RSF fighters from civilian areas and the surrender of their weapons.
Earlier this week, Defence Minister Hassan Kabroun said in a televised speech that “preparations for the Sudanese people’s battle are ongoing.” He added that “our preparations for war are a legitimate national right.”
The army-aligned government had earlier rejected a similar US-backed truce plan that excluded both the army and the RSF from a transitional political process.
Mediation and regional efforts
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that Washington wanted “to see this conflict come to a peaceful end,” but acknowledged that “it’s a very complicated situation on the ground right now.”
Trump’s envoy to Africa, Massad Boulos, held talks in Egypt on Sunday with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and on Monday with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit.
According to statements from both Cairo and the Arab League, the discussions focused on “efforts to reach a humanitarian truce and initiate a political process in Sudan.”
The Quad has been engaged in months of diplomacy aimed at securing a ceasefire in the more than two-year conflict.
In September, the mediation group proposed a three-month humanitarian truce, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a nine-month transition to civilian rule — a plan rejected by Sudan’s military government.
Humanitarian toll
The war between the RSF and Sudan’s army, which erupted in April 2023, has killed more than 40,000 people, according to UN estimates. Aid groups say the true toll is likely far higher.
More than 14 million people have been displaced, and two regions of the country are facing famine conditions, according to the United Nations. Disease outbreaks and widespread hunger have compounded the crisis.
After the fall of El-Fasher, reports emerged of mass killings, sexual violence, and attacks on aid workers.
The International Criminal Court said on Monday it was “profoundly alarmed” by the reports, warning that the acts “may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
The fall of El-Fasher gave the RSF control over all five state capitals in Darfur. Analysts say the country is now effectively divided, with the RSF dominating much of Darfur and parts of the south, while the army controls the north, east, and central regions along the Nile and the Red Sea.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both parties to “come to the negotiating table” and “bring an end to this nightmare of violence.”
In Khartoum, children joined protests this week against the ongoing war, holding signs reading: “Do not kill children, do not kill women.”
