SUDAN ARMY CONDITIONS U.S. PEACE PLAN ON FULL RSF WITHDRAWAL

Sudan's army-led government has made acceptance of a U.S.-brokered peace proposal conditional on the Rapid Support Forces fully withdrawing from cities it has occupied during the war, according to documents reviewed by Reuters. The army accepted several elements of the proposal, but rejected language that called only for limited RSF withdrawals from some areas.

Reuters reported that the U.S. proposal includes a 90-day humanitarian truce, negotiations toward a ceasefire, a civilian-led political transition, creation of a unified national army, and disarmament and reintegration of armed groups. The army-led government's response said it broadly agreed with much of the framework, but said any peace process must require the RSF to leave occupied cities completely.

The army's position focuses on cities seized or contested by the RSF since May 2023. Reuters reported that the dispute includes areas such as al-Fashir in North Darfur and parts of North Kordofan, where fighting and alleged RSF abuses have intensified. The army's response argues that a limited withdrawal would allow the RSF to preserve military and political leverage inside civilian areas.

The RSF has expressed general support for the U.S. proposal and submitted a written response, according to Reuters. The group has continued military operations, including drone attacks in Kordofan, while ceasefire diplomacy has remained active. The gap between the army's demand for full withdrawal and the draft proposal's more limited language is now one of the main obstacles to progress.

The United States has led several earlier efforts to end the war, but those initiatives have repeatedly failed to stop fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF. Reuters reported that Washington has urged the sides to accept the current proposal without preconditions, while the army's latest response shows that major military and political conditions remain unresolved.

The disagreement comes as fighting continues to deepen Sudan's humanitarian crisis. Reuters reported separately that the United Nations Human Rights Council ordered an urgent inquiry into alleged abuses in al-Obeid after reports of summary executions, abductions, torture and sexual violence by the RSF. Humanitarian officials warned that violence in the region is threatening civilians and blocking aid access.

International prosecutors are also moving on Sudan-related atrocity investigations. Reuters reported that an International Criminal Court official said prosecutors had made a breakthrough in Darfur investigations, including evidence linking violence in al-Geneina and al-Fashir to higher levels of leadership. The RSF has been accused by U.N. experts of violence bearing signs of genocide in Darfur, while the RSF denies genocide allegations.

The army's response reflects the central problem in Sudan's peace process: both sides may accept general diplomatic language while rejecting terms that change control of territory, weapons or command structures. The immediate question is whether U.S. mediators can bridge the gap between a ceasefire framework and enforceable territorial withdrawal. If the army insists on full RSF withdrawal before accepting the plan, and the RSF refuses to leave key cities, the proposal may remain another partial diplomatic framework without a path to implementation.

Fact-check date: 11 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: Reuters, United Nations Human Rights Council, International Criminal Court