Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Tuesday it was ready for an immediate and unconditional negotiated ceasefire with the military after signing a declaration with the civilian alliance Taqaddam and calling on the military to follow suit.
Sudan, now facing the world’s biggest displacement crisis, has been at war for nine months, destroying its infrastructure and raising famine warnings.
Attempts to end the conflict through negotiations led by the United States and Saudi Arabia have so far yielded nowhere, and both sides have not respected previous agreements to protect civilians.
The RSF made the clearest commitment yet to ending the war by signing the so-called Addis Ababa Declaration, which aims to serve as a basis for further negotiations and a political settlement.
Rapid Support Commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti) said of the declaration, which also includes commitments to repatriate millions of displaced people, establish safe corridors and include civilians in peace talks: “If the army had (presented) the same document (this), I would sign it (I will sign) it now.”
But after the RSF gained the upper hand in the conflict in the past few weeks, it is not yet clear whether Hemedti will abide by the declaration. The United States accuses the RSF of crimes against humanity, and Hemedti apologized on Tuesday for the violations and said the perpetrators would be dealt with.
The RSF has announced the return of police and markets in some areas under its control, but residents and human rights monitors say soldiers have occupied and looted homes, arresting and sometimes killing civilians.
The Rapid Support Forces militia and the Coordination of Democratic Forces in Sudan signed on Tuesday the Addis Ababa Declaration to stop the civil war.
According to the announcement, the militia is ready to immediately and unconditionally cease military action through direct negotiations with the Sudanese army.
The parties stressed that the Declaration constitutes a fundamental pillar of a political process leading to the end of the war, and that sustainable peace should be based on an end to the multiplicity of armies through the formation of a professional army in accordance with the census standard.
The declaration referred to the agreement of the parties to form civil administrations with the consensus of the inhabitants of the war-affected areas
As well as the formation of a committee working to stop the war and build peace.
According to the announcement, the militia pledged to open safe corridors to areas under its control to allow the flow of humanitarian aid, and pledged to release 451 prisoners of war.
Al-Yurae – Reuters – Agencies
