A Sudanese paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has agreed to a proposal led by the United States (US) for a three-month humanitarian ceasefire, raising cautious hopes for a pause in the country’s devastating civil war.

The plan, which includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, calls for the truce to be followed by a permanent ceasefire and a transition to civilian rule.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who has been the de facto leader of Sudan since 2019, has not yet responded to the proposal.

The conflict erupted in April 2023 after a power struggle between the SAF and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

The RSF evolved from the Janjaweed militia, an Arab-majority force funded by former President Omar al-Bashir to suppress southern rebels and fight in the Darfur War. Since then, the RSF has been accused of massacres, sexual violence, and the ethnic cleansing of non-Arab communities. The war has killed an estimated 400 000 people and displaced more than 11 million, making it the world’s largest refugee crisis.

The UAE has faced scrutiny for its alleged support of the RSF. A Wall Street Journal investigation reported that the Gulf state supplied weapons, including Chinese-made drones, to the RSF, allegations the UAE denies.

In an interview with CBC News, McGill University professor Khaled Mustafa Madani said he is cautiously optimistic about the ceasefire, noting that for the first time key regional powers are working together under American mediation. He warned, however, that no Sudanese civil society groups have been included in the talks, calling this a critical missing link to achieving lasting peace and a genuine transition to civilian rule.

Listen to the Makin Sense podcast where Simon Lincoln Reader explains the history of the Sudan conflict in detail.