Assalamu alaikum - RSF says it accepts US-Arab proposal for humanitarian truce
Assalamu alaikum - Washington: The Rapid Support Forces in Sudan has said it accepts a US and Arab-led proposal for a humanitarian ceasefire and is willing to begin talks on stopping hostilities, according to their statement on Thursday. Both the RSF and the Sudanese army have accepted various ceasefire offers during the past two and a half years of fighting, but none have held so far. The announcement - to which the Sudanese army had not immediately replied - comes under two weeks after the RSF captured the famine-hit city of Al-Fashir, strengthening its hold over much of Darfur in the west.
The RSF statement said it looks forward to implementing the agreement and starting immediate discussions on how to arrange a cessation of fighting and the key principles for Sudan’s political process. Earlier this week the army-led Security and Defense Council met but gave no clear yes or no, and some senior army figures and their allies have voiced opposition.
A US State Department spokesperson said the United States is continuing direct engagement with the parties to help secure a humanitarian truce. “We urge both sides to move forward in response to the US-led effort to conclude a humanitarian truce, given the immediate urgency of de-escalating the violence and ending the suffering of the Sudanese people,” the spokesperson said.
The US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt had called in September for a three-month humanitarian pause to be followed by a lasting ceasefire. Witnesses say the RSF killed and abducted civilians during and after the Al-Fashir takeover, including summary executions, which has raised international alarm. The RSF leader has urged fighters to protect civilians and warned violations would be punished.
This conflict between the army and the RSF began in April 2023 after the two groups, who had been partners in power, clashed over plans to merge their forces. The war has devastated Sudan - tens of thousands dead, widespread hunger and millions displaced. May Allah bring relief to the people of Sudan and protect the innocent.
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