The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s paramilitary group, has declared its willingness to engage in immediate and unconditional ceasefire discussions with the Sudanese army.
This announcement follows the signing of the Addis Ababa declaration on Tuesday by the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, along with the Taqadum civilian coalition. The RSF has extended an invitation to the Sudanese army to participate in similar talks.
The Addis Ababa Declaration serves as a foundational document for further negotiations and a political resolution to the ongoing nine-month war in Sudan. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of the RSF, expressed his readiness to sign the declaration immediately if the army were to present the same document, according to Reuters.
The agreement reportedly includes commitments to repatriate millions of displaced individuals to their homes and establish secure passages for civilians to participate in peace talks. The conflict has led to the world’s largest displacement crisis and extensive damage to Sudan’s infrastructure, with the added threat of famine.
Efforts to bring an end to the conflict through negotiations, facilitated by the United States and Saudi Arabia, have encountered challenges, and previous agreements aimed at protecting civilians have not been fully implemented.
The war originated from a dispute between Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his former deputy and RSF leader, Hamdan Dagalo. Both assumed power in 2019 after the ousting of Omar al-Bashir.