Sudan truce talks stall over RSF withdrawal demands

Leaked documents detailing exchanges between the US administration and Sudan's government have reignited hopes for a humanitarian truce, while simultaneously raising questions about the path toward ending the war. Senior Sudanese officials confirmed the leaked documents' contents, which indicate broad agreement on general principles but a significant dispute over the future of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The Sudanese government conditionally accepted the truce idea. However, initial US statements suggested Khartoum had rejected the proposal, later clarifying that an agreement was reached. A final accord remains elusive. The United States proposed an immediate 90-day humanitarian truce to facilitate aid delivery, enhance civilian protection, and set the stage for negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and a civilian-led political transition.

Sudan's army-led government made its approval contingent on the RSF's withdrawal from all cities occupied since May 11, 2023, a far more extensive demand than the limited withdrawals outlined in the US proposal. A document attributed to the Sudanese government acknowledged key principles, including the absence of a military solution, a nationwide truce, and the formation of a US-led coordination committee with international bodies. It also proposed a UN mechanism for oversight, humanitarian access, and civilian protection.

The core of the dispute lies in the differing approaches to troop movements. The US initiative calls for an immediate ceasefire followed by limited withdrawals to improve aid access, with broader military arrangements to be negotiated later. Sudan's response, however, insists on a complete RSF withdrawal from cities and a reshuffling of the military control map as a precondition for any truce. Disagreements also extend to the future structure of the army, with the US advocating for a unified national military accountable to an elected civilian government, while Sudan links its armed forces directly to the government.