Sudan’s paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, announced on Thursday, November 6, that it agreed to a United States and Arab-backed proposal for a humanitarian ceasefire and expressed readiness to begin talks aimed at ending the war. The RSF’s announcement came shortly after its fighters captured the famine-stricken city of El Fasher, tightening their control over much of western Darfur. The Sudanese Armed Forces have yet to issue an official response.

In a formal statement, the RSF said it was awaiting the immediate start of negotiations on the implementation of the truce and the basic principles of a political process. Earlier in the week, Sudan’s Military and Defense Council discussed the proposal but gave no final reply. Several influential generals reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the plan. The United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt had jointly proposed a three-month humanitarian ceasefire in September, with the goal of reaching a permanent peace deal.

However, witnesses from El Fasher described grim scenes as RSF fighters allegedly killed and abducted civilians during and after their offensive, sparking international condemnation. RSF leadership has since pledged to protect civilians and investigate reported abuses. Yet, the fall of El Fasher marks a turning point in the war — effectively dividing Sudan into two zones of control: the east and north under the army, and the west under the RSF.

The RSF’s latest move, while framed as a humanitarian gesture, underscores a broader truth: Sudan’s war is no longer only a domestic power struggle. It has evolved into a regional contest of influence, resources, and ideology — one that threatens to reshape the political map of northeast Africa.

For the first half of the twentieth century, Sudan existed as the Anglo Egyptian Condominium, a joint protectorate ruled by Egypt and the United Kingdom. When both powers........

© The Spine Times