Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Thursday it has agreed to a United States-led proposal for a humanitarian ceasefire, raising hopes of temporary relief after months of fighting that has devastated the country.
The announcement came less than two weeks after the RSF seized the city of El-Fasher in western Darfur, ending an 18-month siege that left thousands trapped in famine-like conditions. The group said it accepted the truce plan, developed by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt to allow the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid and open talks on a broader end to hostilities.
“The Rapid Support Forces look forward to implementing the agreement and starting discussions on the arrangements for a cessation of hostilities and principles guiding the political process in Sudan,” the group said in a statement.
The Sudanese army, which has been battling the RSF since April 2023, has not formally responded to the proposal. Earlier this week, Sudan’s Security and Defense Council discussed the plan but gave no decision, while some army leaders expressed opposition.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Washington continues to press both sides to accept the truce, describing the humanitarian situation as “urgent.” The United Nations and aid agencies estimate that more than 24 million people across Sudan face severe food insecurity, with many dependent on local community kitchens now at risk of collapse.
Witnesses and humanitarian groups have reported killings, abductions, and summary executions during and after the RSF’s capture of El-Fasher. The RSF has denied systematic abuses but said some violations occurred and promised to hold individual fighters accountable.
The UN Human Rights Council is set to hold an emergency session on November 14 to address the situation in El-Fasher, where more than 60,000 people have fled to nearby areas such as Tawila.
The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF who were once partners in government, erupted over plans to integrate their forces. The conflict has since killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and left vast parts of the country cut off from aid.
Although both sides have previously agreed to multiple ceasefires, none have held. The latest U.S.-backed proposal aims to secure a three-month humanitarian pause as a first step toward a permanent ceasefire and political transition.
For millions of Sudanese civilians trapped by violence, any pause in fighting would mark a critical moment in the country’s worst humanitarian crisis in decades.
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