Sudan army demands full RSF withdrawal from cities for US peace plan acceptance

The Sudanese army has stipulated that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) must fully withdraw from all cities they occupy before the army will broadly accept a US proposal aimed at ending the country's three-year civil war. This demand, revealed in documents seen by Reuters and confirmed by senior Sudanese officials, represents a significant sticking point in ongoing peace negotiations.

The US proposal, put forth last month, calls for an immediate 90-day humanitarian truce to facilitate discussions on a permanent ceasefire and a civilian-led transition to elections. It also suggests a UN-led mechanism to oversee limited RSF withdrawals, with a particular focus on North Darfur, where the RSF recently captured al-Fashir, and North Kordofan.

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the withdrawal of (the RSF) from all the cities it has occupied since May 11, 2023

While the Sudanese government accepted most of the US plan, it strongly objected to a limited withdrawal. The army's documents specify the need for the RSF to leave "all the cities it has occupied since May 11, 2023." This demand for a comprehensive withdrawal has repeatedly stalled previous peace initiatives.

The US proposal also outlined a path toward a unified national army, including disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration, alongside a civilian-led political process that would exclude groups accused of atrocities. Despite an initial report that Sudan had rejected the plan, a US official later expressed pleasure that the Sudanese army chief had "apparently accepted" the proposal, highlighting the complex and often contradictory nature of the peace process.

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has apparently accepted, rather than rejected, the latest peace proposal