Sudan’s military, led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, is reviewing a US proposal for a three-month ceasefire, as famine deepens across conflict zones and allegations of mass atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces escalate.
The plan, backed by the so-called “Quad”—the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—was announced Monday by Massad Boulos, senior advisor to US President Donald Trump, during a visit to Cairo.
According to Boulos, both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF have agreed in principle to a 90-day pause in hostilities. “We have not recorded any initial objection from either side. We are now focusing on the fine details,” he said, adding that both factions have sent representatives to Washington for negotiations.
Boulos described the proposal as a real opportunity to end the conflict. He said the parties are reviewing a US-authored draft, backed by the Quad, which includes a declaration of principles and a framework for peace.
Despite initially refusing the joint US-Egypt proposal for direct talks with the RSF, Al-Burhan may soon meet with Hemedti in Cairo. This shift comes after reports warned that the RSF plans to attack more cities, including Al-Ubbayid, north of Kordofan, according to Amani Al-Taweel, Director of the African Program at the Center for Al-Ahram Political and Strategic Studies.
The diplomatic overture also follows the RSF capture of El-Fasher, the final regional capital outside its control, after weeks of heavy combat. Al-Burhan confirmed the military withdrawal, framing it as a move to avoid further civilian bloodshed.
In the aftermath, the Fasher Resistance Coordination Committee accused RSF fighters of executing wounded civilians inside the Saudi Hospital, the city’s last partially functioning medical facility. The WHO verified the killing of 460 patients and medical personnel.
Details of the US proposal—titled “Structure of a Declaration of Principles for a Nationwide Humanitarian Truce”—outline four core elements. The draft reaffirms Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial unity, calls for an end to the war, and demands good-faith conduct from both sides.
It also proposes a ceasefire timeline, force separation, unfettered humanitarian access, and the creation of a Humanitarian Truce Coordination Committee to report violations.
The UAE, a key member of the Quad, faces persistent accusations from Sudan of arming the RSF and enabling war crimes in Darfur—charges the International Court of Justice declined to investigate, citing lack of jurisdiction.
El-Fasher, now under RSF control, was besieged for nearly two years. Humanitarian groups documented severe shortages of food, medicine, and access, leading to widespread hunger, disease, and civilian deaths among its 250,000 residents.
In September, El-Fasher had been classified as experiencing a phase 5 famine, the highest ranking under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
Last October, a UN fact-finding mission found the RSF responsible for “staggering levels” of sexual violence, including gang rape and sexual slavery, during its offensives in contested zones.
A Human Rights Watch report also accused the RSF and allied militias of committing war crimes in South Kordofan between December 2023 and March 2024, documenting rape, murder, abduction, looting, and destruction of civilian homes.
The watchdog urged the UN and African Union to launch an international monitoring mission to document abuses and protect civilians.
At the height of Sudan’s “lean season” in September, more than 21 million people—roughly 45% of the population—faced severe food insecurity, the panel reported.
