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The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group locked in a prolonged conflict with Sudan’s regular army, said Thursday it has agreed to a humanitarian truce proposed by the so-called Quad countries — the United States, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia — amid growing international alarm over atrocities in Darfur.
The announcement came days after the RSF seized control of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state and the army’s last major stronghold in the region, following an 18-month siege that left the city devastated and surrounded by famine and bombardments.
The group said the truce was necessary "to address the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the war and to enhance the protection of civilians," adding that it would enable the urgent delivery of aid and the start of discussions toward a cessation of hostilities.
The Quad’s September proposal reportedly envisioned a three-month humanitarian truce as a precursor to a permanent ceasefire and a nine-month transition to civilian rule excluding both warring factions. However, the Sudanese government has yet to publicly respond to the RSF’s latest statement.
Earlier this week, Sudan’s army chief, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, reiterated his intent to defeat the paramilitaries, saying his forces would "avenge those who have been killed and abused." His government has previously conditioned any political dialogue on the RSF’s withdrawal from occupied territories and its exclusion from future governance structures.
As reports of atrocities continue to emerge, new satellite imagery released by Yale researchers on Thursday revealed evidence "consistent with mass graves" in El-Fasher, including at a mosque and the former Children’s Hospital. The images showed the appearance of long trenches and the disappearance of clusters resembling bodies, suggesting post-battle disposal operations.
The World Health Organization had earlier reported that more than 460 patients and medical staff were killed at Al-Saudi Hospital during the RSF’s assault on the city.
With the fall of El-Fasher, the RSF now controls all five state capitals in Darfur and parts of southern Sudan, while the army maintains control over the north, east, and central regions, including the capital, Khartoum, along the Nile and Red Sea.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between forces loyal to Gen. al-Burhan and those of his former deputy, RSF commander Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions. The United Nations describes it as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.
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