Gunfire is still echoing across parts of Sudan despite a newly declared humanitarian truce, as the country’s army chief flatly rejects a U.S.-backed ceasefire and pushes peace efforts further out of reach.
Sudan’s two warring factions remain locked in conflict across Khartoum and Darfur after the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, rejected a U.S.-led ceasefire proposal while the Rapid Support Forces announced a unilateral pause in fighting—a split that threatens to derail mediation efforts and leave millions of civilians at risk. United Nations officials have described the war as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with about 30 million people expected to need aid this year, roughly 16 million of them children.
“It is critical that diplomatic channels remain open, and in this regard we welcome the efforts of the U.S. and of the Quad. But our focus remains on the dire humanitarian situation. It is critical that civilians are protected and that aid workers are able to safely reach people in need with life-saving assistance,” a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs told Military.com.
Military.com reached out to the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces, the White House, and the Department of Defense for comment.
Diplomacy Splits
The ceasefire proposal, backed by mediators including the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, centers on a three-month humanitarian truce followed by a political process.
Sudan’s army leadership has publicly criticized the framework, arguing it would weaken the armed forces and state security institutions. Meanwhile, RSF leadership has announced what it describes as a three-month humanitarian ceasefire intended to allow aid to reach civilians.
Human rights monitors and aid groups continue to document large-scale displacement, increasing food insecurity and severe disruptions in access to clean water, medical care and shelter, particularly in and around El Fasher. The conflict has already forced more than 14 million people from their homes and fueled outbreaks of preventable disease as overcrowded displacement sites and damaged infrastructure strain fragile health systems.
Humanitarian Reality Overshadows Political Messaging
United Nations officials continue to stress that humanitarian access must move forward regardless of political outcomes as violence isolates communities and restricts supply routes.
“It is critical that civilians are protected and that aid workers are able to safely reach people in need with life-saving assistance,” the UN spokesperson told Military.com.
Medical facilities in hard-hit areas report overwhelming caseloads. Water systems and other basic infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed in several regions. Aid workers say families in many affected communities are surviving on limited rations as prices rise and access to markets remains constrained.
A Fragile Path Forward
Diplomatic pressure is expected to increase as outreach intensifies with African Union partners and regional power brokers in a renewed push for talks. U.S. envoys and Quad representatives continue urging both sides to accept the humanitarian truce framework and focus on enabling sustained aid access.
If the RSF-declared pause in fighting holds and the army engages with mediation efforts, a narrow window could open for more consistent humanitarian deliveries. If violence continues or expands, aid officials warn the crisis could worsen, further displace civilians, and deepen instability across neighboring areas.
