Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have accepted Thursday,November 6,a humanitarian ceasefire proposal brokered by a U.S.-led coalition known as the Quad,which includes Saudi Arabia,Egypt,and the United Arab Emirates.
The move comes shortly after the RSF seized el-Fasher,the last Sudanese military stronghold in the Darfur region,following 18 months of siege.
While the Sudanese army has cautiously welcomed the proposal,officials insist any truce must include RSF withdrawal from civilian areas and the surrender of weapons. The U.S. has been facilitating talks aimed at securing a three-month truce to allow aid access,followed by a nine-month political process.
The war,which erupted in 2023 between the Sudanese military and its one-time ally,the RSF,has devastated the nation.
The conflict has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced over 12 million,with more than 24 million facing acute food insecurity,according to the World Food Programme. El-Fasher and Kadugli have been declared famine zones,with international agencies describing the hunger crisis as “man-made.” Aid organizations warn that the continuing violence,limited access,and collapsed community kitchens are accelerating the humanitarian catastrophe,leaving families across Sudan on the brink of starvation.
Those fleeing el-Fasher recount horrific journeys of survival amid drone attacks,hunger,and exhaustion,as reported by Associated Press. The agency quoted witnesses who describe seeing corpses along escape routes and people dying from dehydration and abuse. Many survivors who reached displacement camps,such as Al-Affad in Northern State,are suffering from extreme hunger and trauma. Relief groups like the Norwegian Refugee Council report that residents in besieged areas have been forced to eat animal feed and drink rainwater while hiding in self-dug holes for safety. Humanitarian workers continue to press for the establishment of safe corridors,warning that without immediate intervention,millions more could perish in silence.
United News - unews.co.za