Sudan Army Pushes RSF Exit Under US-Backed Plan

By Staff, Agencies

The Sudanese army has made the Rapid Support Forces' [RSF] complete withdrawal from cities it controls a key condition for accepting a United States-backed plan to end the country’s three-year war, Reuters reported, citing documents.

According to the documents, whose contents were confirmed by senior Sudanese officials, show that Khartoum accepted most aspects of the US initiative but rejected provisions allowing only limited RSF withdrawals, insisting instead on a complete pullout from every city occupied since May 11, 2023.

Under the proposal, both sides immediately implement a 90-day humanitarian truce to facilitate negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire and a civilian-led political transition culminating in elections.

However, the plan’s call for limited RSF withdrawals overseen by a UN mechanism, was rejected by the army, which demanded a full RSF withdrawal from all occupied cities.

Beyond the ceasefire, the US initiative calls for a unified national army through disarmament efforts and a civilian-led transition excluding the Muslim Brotherhood and armed groups accused of atrocities. Washington later said army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had apparently accepted the plan.

Meanwhile, fighting continues in Sudan despite diplomatic efforts, with the RSF maintaining military operations as the war has displaced millions, fueled hunger and disease, and drawn genocide accusations in Darfur.

The conflict erupted in April 2023 over disputes between the army and RSF regarding force integration and the transition to civilian rule.