Sudan War: RSF Announces 3-Month Truce – Will It Hold?

A three-month humanitarian pause in the brutal conflict ravaging Sudan was announced in recent hours by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), offering a potential, though fragile, glimmer of hope for the country’s millions of civilians. The announcement comes after two years of fighting that have left more than 40,000 people dead and displaced 14 million more internally.

According to the official statement, the RSF’s decision is “based on our responsibility and in response to international efforts led by the initiative of U.S. President Donald Trump.” The RSF are responding to a proposal put forward in September by the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, centered around a humanitarian truce.

However, as of this writing, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, have not confirmed their acceptance of the ceasefire. Al-Burhan has reportedly set conditions for his agreement, including the withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates from the mediation team and the retreat of RSF militias from captured cities. Earlier Sunday, Al-Burhan rejected a proposal from the United States and its partners – a group known as the Quad – according to reports. Both the Quad and the African Union (AU) were reportedly aware of the RSF’s announcement and have expressed their support.

Sudan Faces the World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis

Dagalo stated the pause is intended “to strengthen security for civilians, facilitate the delivery of aid, and give a ray of hope to the people.” This declaration is particularly striking given the widespread allegations of indiscriminate killings carried out by RSF soldiers during the conflict, which has led to Sudan being described as the site of the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis.

The role of the United Arab Emirates in the conflict is also marked by contradictions. While supporting peace proposals, the UAE has been accused – and denies – of arming RSF militias. Satellite imagery has reportedly shown the RSF burying large numbers of bodies in recent weeks, seemingly in an attempt to conceal evidence of massacres.

The proposed truce includes the establishment of a monitoring mechanism overseen by the Quad, the African Union, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and is intended as a first step toward a political solution to a war rooted in a power struggle between the two factions. The development underscores the complex geopolitical dynamics at play in the region.

Following two years of conflict, it remains uncertain whether the RSF – who took control of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, on October 26 and were accused of massacring its population – will have a place in Sudan’s future power structure. The RSF have also been accused of exacerbating the humanitarian crisis by blocking the delivery of food and essential supplies, looting entire villages, and using sexual violence as a weapon of war. Summary executions of civilians have been a hallmark of their campaign.

Both sides have been accused of committing war crimes. In July, the Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Nazhat Shameem Khan, warned that crimes against humanity were being committed in the territory. The success of this humanitarian pause, and whether it is respected by both sides, remains to be seen, as previous attempts to halt the fighting have failed.