Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has agreed to a proposal from the US for a humanitarian ceasefire, the group said on Thursday. The RSF issued the statement after seizing the city of el-Fasher in the western Darfur region.
The 18-month siege blocked humanitarian aid despite repeated UN appeals, causing starvation among residents unable to flee. A UN-backed global hunger monitor has confirmed famine conditions in the city.
The RSF has been facing an international backlash over reports of mass killings by its foot soldiers, which it has denied. But it has admitted 'violations' were committed by individuals and arrested some.
Civil war broke out between Sudan's army and the RSF in April 2023. Both parties have agreed to various ceasefire proposals during the war, though none have stuck. In September, the US, along with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt proposed a three-month humanitarian truce, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a transition to civilian rule.
The RSF's statement indicated that it agreed to enter the truce in order to address the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the war and to allow the urgent delivery of aid.
The announcement follows warnings that a network of community kitchens, vital for feeding those affected by the war, is on the verge of collapse due to resource shortages.
Over 24 million people in Sudan are facing acute food shortages amid what the UN describes as the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
