Sudan’s Army Chief Rejects US-Led Ceasefire Plan, Calling Proposal ‘Utterly Unacceptable’
Top commander rejects truce as rebels nod amid famine and fury.
Sudan's military leader General Abdel-Fattah Burhan dismissed a US-led ceasefire proposal as utterly unacceptable and the most flawed iteration to date, delivering a severe setback to international efforts to halt the brutal 30-month civil war ravaging the nation. In a video statement circulated by the armed forces late Sunday, Burhan charged the mediators with blatant bias, insisting the plan undermines Sudan's sovereignty by dismantling its security apparatus and allowing paramilitary forces to retain territorial footholds.
The conflict erupted in April 2023 from a fierce power clash between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, igniting fierce battles across Khartoum and beyond that have since spiraled into one of Africa's deadliest modern wars. United Nations data records over 40,000 fatalities, though humanitarian organizations estimate the toll far exceeds that figure due to underreporting in remote conflict zones. The violence has displaced more than 14 million individuals, igniting widespread disease epidemics and driving millions toward starvation in famine-stricken regions like Darfur.
The Quad mediation group, comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, has pursued diplomatic channels for over two years to enforce a truce and revive Sudan's stalled democratic transition derailed by the 2021 military coup. Recent momentum built after US President Donald Trump pledged heightened involvement following appeals from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a White House visit. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres amplified the urgency on Monday via social media, demanding an immediate halt to hostilities, unfettered humanitarian access, and a complete embargo on arms flows into Sudan to avert further catastrophe.
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The latest proposal outlines a 90-day humanitarian pause succeeded by a nine-month political negotiation phase, a framework that the Rapid Support Forces endorsed amid mounting global condemnation for their alleged war crimes in the Darfur stronghold of el-Fasher. RSF commander General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo reinforced this stance in a Monday video address, urging mediators to compel the military's compliance and highlighting the group's readiness for de-escalation. US Africa adviser Massad Boulos detailed the truce's structure earlier this month, framing it as a pragmatic bridge to broader reconciliation.
Burhan countered sharply, decrying the document for effectively dissolving the armed forces, eliminating key security bodies, and entrenching the RSF's presence in occupied zones, while lashing out at Boulos for imposing undue pressures and at the UAE for purportedly fueling the paramilitaries through covert arms shipments. The UAE's Foreign Ministry fired back in a statement, branding Burhan's refusal as obstructive posturing that demands international rebuke, amid persistent allegations from rights monitors and US intelligence reports of Emirati support for the RSF—claims Dubai firmly rejects. Burhan outlined the military's preconditions for any truce, including a full RSF evacuation from civilian territories to facilitate displaced returns, before advancing to political dialogue, underscoring that while peace remains a priority, no external force will dictate Sudan's terms.
Also Read: Sudan Conflict May Ease After RSF Accepts Humanitarian Proposal
