Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the powerful paramilitary group led by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), has agreed to a U.S.-backed humanitarian ceasefire, marking the first sign of potential de-escalation after the fall of El-Fasher, a city devastated by famine and siege.

The RSF announced on Thursday that it accepted a truce proposal presented by the United States, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, saying the move was intended “to address the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the war” and facilitate the urgent delivery of aid to millions trapped in conflict zones.

Sudan’s military-led government has not yet formally responded to the offer.

Eighteen Months of Siege and Starvation

The ceasefire announcement comes days after the RSF captured El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, following an 18-month siege that blocked food and medical supplies and left tens of thousands starving.

A UN-backed hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), confirmed that famine conditions had taken hold in the city before its fall. Aid groups described scenes of desperation as civilians resorted to eating animal feed and contaminated water to survive.

“We saw people murdered in front of us. We saw people being beaten. It was really terrible,” survivor Ezzeldin Hassan Musa told the BBC after fleeing to Tawila.

The UN’s refugee agency says more than 60,000 people have fled El-Fasher in recent weeks, most now living in makeshift camps without sanitation or steady food access.

The Ceasefire Proposal

The truce plan, first tabled in September, outlines a three-month humanitarian pause, followed by talks toward a permanent ceasefire and eventual transition to civilian rule.

While the RSF said it accepted the plan “in good faith,” Sudan’s Defence Minister Hassan Kabroun struck a defiant tone earlier this week, vowing to continue preparations for what he called “the people’s battle against the militia.”

“Our preparations for war are a legitimate national right,” Kabroun said in a televised speech.

Sudan’s chargé d’affaires in Nairobi, Mohamed Osman Akasha, told the BBC that the army would only accept peace if the RSF was dismantled, disarmed, and held accountable for alleged war crimes.

“The government and people of Sudan are determined to defeat this militia,” he said.

Accusations and Atrocities

The RSF’s ceasefire pledge follows a wave of international condemnation over alleged massacres by its fighters during and after the fall of El-Fasher. Humanitarian organizations and survivors reported systematic killings, torture, and sexual violence, particularly targeting ethnic Masalit civilians — accusations the RSF denies.

The group admitted that “violations” had been committed by individuals and claimed it had arrested several perpetrators. RSF leader Hemedti announced an internal investigation and released video footage purportedly showing the detention of a soldier accused of executing civilians.

The UN Human Rights Council has scheduled an urgent session for November 14 to review evidence of atrocities and consider whether to expand existing sanctions or refer cases to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

A War with No Clear End

Sudan’s civil war erupted in April 2023, pitting the national army under Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against Hemedti’s RSF. What began as a struggle for power in Khartoum has devolved into a nationwide conflict that has displaced over 10 million people and created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.

The situation worsened as international aid diminished. A recent report by Islamic Relief warned that the country’s volunteer-run community kitchens, vital lifelines for millions, are on the verge of collapse after losing U.S. funding.

“If nothing changes in six months, most will close,” one volunteer told BBC correspondents, echoing fears that even temporary ceasefires may come too late to save lives.

Why It Matters

If the ceasefire holds — a big “if” in Sudan’s war-weary landscape — it could open humanitarian corridors into regions cut off for nearly two years, including parts of Darfur and Kordofan where famine is spreading.

Yet history weighs heavily: more than a dozen ceasefire deals have failed since 2023, undone by mistrust, fragmentation, and competing external interests.

As the world watches, Sudan stands on the threshold of either fragile relief or another false dawn.

“Peace is not signed on paper,” one exhausted aid worker in Port Sudan told the BBC. “It’s proven in whether the killing stops.”