Sudanese military leader General Yasser al-Atta declared on Sunday that a ceasefire in Sudan during the holy month of Ramadan would only be possible if the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) vacated civilian homes and locations.
This announcement is a response to the United Nations Security Council’s call for a Ramadan truce, a proposal that the RSF had expressed readiness to accept.
Released on the official Telegram channel of the army, the statement underscored recent military progress in Omdurman, a district of Sudan’s capital.
Al-Atta insisted that a Ramadan ceasefire depended on the RSF fulfilling a commitment made in May of the previous year, which involved withdrawing from civilian residences and public facilities as agreed upon in talks mediated by Saudi Arabia and the U.S. in Jeddah.
The statement also stressed the exclusion of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, from any future involvement in Sudan’s politics or military.
The conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF began in mid-April 2023, stemming from tensions surrounding a transition plan to civilian rule. The two factions had previously staged a coup in 2021, disrupting a previous transition initiated after the 2019 overthrow of former leader Omar al-Bashir.
Throughout the conflict, the army has encountered military challenges, initially facing RSF occupation of significant portions of the capital.
According to the United Nations, nearly 25 million people, half of Sudan’s population, are in need of aid, with 8 million displaced, and hunger on the rise. Washington alleges war crimes committed by both conflicting parties.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for a Ramadan truce. Sudan’s U.N. ambassador conveyed that the head of the army and ruling council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, acknowledged Guterres’ appeal but raised questions about its implementation.
Sudan’s foreign ministry, aligned with the armed forces, outlined conditions for a successful ceasefire, including the RSF’s withdrawal from specific areas in Darfur, El Gezira, and Sennar states.