Sudan’s RSF accepts U.S.-backed proposal for humanitarian ceasefire

Sudan’s powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), said on Thursday it has accepted a proposal by the United States and several Arab powers for a humanitarian ceasefire, signaling potential progress in efforts to end the country’s two-and-a-half-year conflict.

In a statement, the RSF said it was “open to discussions on a cessation of hostilities” and ready to begin talks on the fundamental principles of a political settlement.

The group added that it looks forward to implementing the ceasefire agreement “and immediately commencing discussions on the arrangements for a cessation of hostilities.”

The Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has not yet officially responded to the proposal. Earlier this week, the army-led Security and Defense Council met to deliberate on the offer but stopped short of making a decision.

Sources close to the military leadership said some influential figures within the army have voiced opposition to the plan.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after the RSF captured the famine-stricken city of al-Fashir, the last major urban center in Darfur not under its control, consolidating the group’s dominance over the western region.

The U.S. administration of President Donald Trump said it was working with regional partners to bring an end to the fighting, which has plunged Sudan into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Both the RSF and the Sudanese army have previously agreed to multiple ceasefire initiatives, all of which have collapsed amid continued violence. Despite skepticism over whether the latest proposal will hold, observers say the RSF’s public endorsement marks a rare opening for renewed diplomatic engagement.