Rapid Support Forces agree to U.S. ceasefire proposal

A paramilitary group accused of killing of thousands of civilians in Sudan said Thursday it had agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire proposal from U.S.-led mediators.

The Rapid Support Forces, which has been widely accused of carrying out atrocities during the 18-months of fighting, said in a statement that it had accepted the truce “in order to address the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the war and to enhance the protection of civilians.”

The ceasefire would «ensure the urgent delivery of humanitarian assistance to all Sudanese people,» the statement added.

It was not immediately clear whether the Sudanese military, which has also been accused of atrocities in the conflict, would also accept the proposal. It was put forward by a mediator group made up of the U.S., Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, known as the Quad.

The RSF seized control of el-Fasher city, the army’s last stronghold in the western Darfur region, over a week ago. Civilians fleeing the area and satellite imagery suggest many of those remaining in the city have been slaughtered.

The war that erupted in April 2023 has forced more than 14 million people from their homes and fueled disease outbreaks. Two regions of Sudan are enduring a famine that’s at risk of spreading, according to the United Nations.