Sudanese Army Conditions Rapid Support Forces' Withdrawal from Cities for Acceptance of US Peace Proposal
Documents reviewed by Reuters show that the Sudanese army demanded the complete withdrawal of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from cities they control as a condition for broadly accepting a US proposal aimed at ending the three-year-old civil war.
The documents, the substance of which has been confirmed by senior officials, reveal that a US proposal put forward last month called on both sides to immediately agree to a 90-day humanitarian ceasefire, paving the way for negotiations on a permanent halt to hostilities and a civilian-led transition toward elections.
The US proposal, received by the army-led government on June 20, called for the creation of a UN-led mechanism to support limited withdrawal operations by RSF troops, prioritizing North Darfur, where the militia recently captured the city of El Fasher during a violent offensive, and North Kordofan, which is currently the target of drone strikes carried out by RSF forces.
According to the documents, the army-led Sudanese government agreed to most provisions of the proposal but objected to the issue of limited withdrawal, stating that the plan must include the withdrawal of RSF forces from all cities they have controlled since May 11, 2023.
After initially informing the UN Security Council that Sudan had rejected the proposal, US advisor for Arab and African affairs Masad Boulos said on social media last week that he was “very pleased” to hear that Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan “has apparently accepted – rather than rejected – the latest peace proposal.”
UN experts have accused the RSF of committing genocide in the Darfur region, where it has established control and begun setting up a parallel government.
A senior RSF official told Reuters that the forces had received the latest proposal, welcomed it, and submitted a written response, but provided no further details.
The RSF had previously welcomed peace proposals while continuing to launch attacks.
