Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have announced their acceptance of a US-proposed humanitarian ceasefire, raising hopes for temporary relief in a country ravaged by nearly two years of war.
The Sudanese army-led government has not yet responded to the proposal. The RSF’s statement came shortly after the group seized control of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, following an 18-month siege that cut off humanitarian access and led to widespread starvation.
A UN-supported hunger monitoring network has confirmed that famine conditions have developed in el-Fasher, where civilians have been trapped without food or medical aid.
While the RSF has faced international condemnation over reports of mass killings, the group has denied orchestrating atrocities, admitting only to “individual violations” and claiming to have arrested some perpetrators.
The civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the RSF, has devastated the country, displacing millions and creating what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
In September, the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt proposed a three-month humanitarian truce, intended to pave the way for a permanent ceasefire and a transition to civilian rule.
In its latest statement, the RSF said it agreed to the proposal “to address the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the war” and to ensure the “urgent delivery” of aid to affected regions.
The group also expressed willingness to engage in talks that would “address the root causes of the conflict” and lay the groundwork for “a just and lasting peace.”
However, Sudan’s military leadership appears reluctant to pause hostilities. Defence Minister Hassan Kabroun thanked the US administration for its peace efforts but maintained that “preparations for war are a legitimate national right.”
Meanwhile, Sudan’s chargé d’affaires in Nairobi, Mohamed Osman Akasha, told the BBC that the government would only accept a ceasefire if the RSF was dismantled, disarmed, and its leaders prosecuted.
“The government and people of Sudan are determined to defeat this militia,” he said.
The ceasefire announcement follows dire warnings from Islamic Relief that community-run kitchens, which provide meals in areas unreachable by international agencies, are nearing collapse due to shortages and exhaustion among volunteers.
The UN estimates that more than 24 million Sudanese are facing acute food insecurity, while over 60,000 residents have fled el-Fasher since its fall last month. Survivors have described “unimaginable suffering” and executions carried out by RSF fighters during the takeover.
Last week, RSF leader Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) announced an internal probe into the reported abuses, vowing accountability. The group has since released a video showing the arrest of a fighter accused of executions in el-Fasher.
The UN Human Rights Council has scheduled an urgent session on November 14 to address the situation in Darfur and investigate potential war crimes and human rights violations.