Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have declared a three-month unilateral ceasefire, a day after the military rejected a United States ceasefire proposal from international mediators.
The US, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Saudi Arabia – known as the Quad – proposed a plan earlier this month for a three-month ceasefire followed by peace talks. The RSF responded by saying it had accepted the plan, but shortly afterwards attacked the army area with a barrage of drone strikes.
The statement appeared to announce a unilateral ceasefire. It came a day after Sudan’s army chief rejected the Quad’s proposals and criticized the inclusion of the UAE, which has been accused of arming the RSF, as a mediator.
The Gulf state has denied the accusations and said it wants to stop the war.
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of the RSF said in a speech on Monday: “In response to international efforts, especially those of His Excellency US President Donald Trump… I announce a humanitarian ceasefire, including a cessation of hostilities for three months.”
“We hope that the Quad countries will play their role in pushing the other side to take this step,” he said.
His comments come as the RSF is under fire for alleged attacks on civilians in the wake of its takeover of the city of Al-Fasher in late October. That takeover strengthened control over the Darfur region, and the force has reportedly stepped up attacks on the Kordofan region in an attempt to take control of the country.
Sudanese army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in his speech last weekend, accused the US proposal of seeking to weaken the Sudanese army while allowing the RSF to hold the territory it has seized.
“No one in Sudan will accept the presence of these rebels, or that they will be part of any solution in the future,” Burhan said. He also denied what he said were American accusations of Islamic influence in his government.
“With his rejection of the US peace plan for Sudan and his repeated refusal to accept a ceasefire, he continues to demonstrate obstructive behavior,” Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of International Cooperation, said in a statement on Monday.
The war in Sudan, which broke out in April 2023 over disagreements over the integration of the two groups, has not only plunged Sudan into famine but also claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians.
Both the RSF and the military have been accused of committing war crimes – charges that both sides deny.
#Sudans #paramilitary #RSF #declares #ceasefire #army #rejects #proposal