Salaam - RSF says it will accept proposed ceasefire in Sudan
As-salamu alaykum - quick update and my thoughts.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have announced they will accept a US-backed proposal for a humanitarian ceasefire after more than two years of fighting with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The proposal was put forward by a quartet of mediators - the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE - to try to ease the catastrophic humanitarian suffering and protect civilians.
There hasn’t been an immediate response from the Sudanese military. Earlier this week a US adviser said both sides had “agreed in principle” and that negotiators were now working through the remaining details.
Reports say the plan would start with a three-month humanitarian truce meant to open the door to a longer political solution that could include a new civilian-led government. Journalists in Khartoum say the RSF said they want an end to the two-year conflict, while the army has publicly insisted it wants to keep fighting and doubts the RSF can be peacefully reintegrated.
The army has set conditions for any ceasefire and has been reported to oppose parts of the mediation process, so it’s unclear if the SAF will accept the proposed terms.
Meanwhile the situation on the ground remains dire. The RSF is accused of massacres after taking el-Fasher in North Darfur on 26 October following a long siege. Large parts of western Darfur and some southern areas are now under RSF control, while the army holds much of the north, east and central regions.
Humanitarian agencies say tens of thousands fled el-Fasher and surrounding areas, and there are disturbing reports from witnesses, rights groups and health agencies of summary executions, sexual violence and many civilian deaths. The WHO reported hundreds of patients and medical staff killed at a former children’s hospital in the city. Independent researchers also published satellite imagery suggesting sites consistent with mass graves and other signs of body disposal.
The conflict began in April 2023 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by his former deputy Mohammed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti). Both sides have been accused of serious violations, including extrajudicial killings, torture, large-scale attacks on civilians and sexual violence, according to UN and human rights reports.
This ceasefire proposal could bring much-needed humanitarian access and relief if all parties agree. I’m praying for the innocent civilians caught up in this and hoping for a peaceful, just resolution that protects lives and dignity. Please keep the people of Sudan in your duas.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news