For months there have been international efforts to reach a peace deal for Sudan. Now the RSF militia has announced a three-month ceasefire. The army’s reaction is still pending.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have declared a three-month humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan. This happened because of international efforts, especially those of US President Donald Trump, said RSF leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo in his speech.
The ceasefire appears to be one-sided: Sudanese military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan just rejected a similar proposal on Sunday that had been drawn up by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt. Rejecting the plan, Burhan criticized the UAE’s involvement as an intermediary. Emirates is accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, but they deny this. The military has not issued a statement regarding the ceasefire that has now been announced.
Trump is involved in the peace plan
Last week, at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump announced that he would work to end the civil war. The US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE have floated plans for a three-month ceasefire followed by peace talks. The RSF agreed to this, but soon launched drone attacks on army positions.
In Sudan, Africa’s third-largest country, the army of military ruler al-Burhan and the RSF have been locked in a power struggle since April 2023. Tens of thousands of people have died and, according to the UN, more than 21 million people have been affected by acute famine. After an 18-month siege, the RSF took control of the town of Al-Fashir – the last major city in the Darfur region not yet controlled by the militia – in late October. Many atrocities were reported in the city, including mass executions of civilians.
Amnesty documented atrocities in Al-Fashir
Amnesty International said it had compiled further reports. Survivors reported that RSF militia fighters executed unarmed men and raped dozens of women and girls when they captured Al-Fashir, human rights organizations said. According to witnesses’ statements, the entire group of men were shot, beaten or taken hostage, he said.
The world must not turn a blind eye to RSF’s brutal attacks, said Amnesty Secretary General Agnès Callamard. These are war crimes and possibly “other crimes under international law.”
