With the announcement by the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), on Monday in a speech addressed to the Sudanese people, of his immediate agreement to a three-month humanitarian truce, the Port Sudan forces are now in a local and international predicament.
The Rapid Support Forces’ truce came in response to the initiative of US President Donald Trump and the efforts of the Quartet countries, consisting of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United States, and Britain, in addition to the IGAD mechanism and the African Union.
Hemedti’s speech came in response to the initiative of US President Donald Trump and the efforts of the Quartet (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United States and Britain), in addition to the IGAD mechanism and the African Union.
According to the statement, this historic moment is “one of the most critical moments” that requires responsibility and courage from everyone, stressing that the war has exhausted the people and that stopping the bloodshed has become a duty that cannot be postponed.
The Rapid Support Forces statement identified six main points, including the declaration of an immediate humanitarian truce for three months, which includes a cessation of all hostilities, with the aim of protecting civilians and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, while calling on the Quartet countries to push the Sudanese army to accept the truce.
He also pledged a full commitment to facilitating humanitarian work by securing the movement of workers, ensuring unhindered access to aid, protecting the headquarters and warehouses of organizations, facilitating the work of medical teams, and cooperating with the United Nations.
The statement also included approval for the establishment of a field monitoring mechanism supervised by the Quartet and IGAD countries to ensure the implementation of the truce and the delivery of aid, and an emphasis on holding accountable any individual proven to be involved in violations against civilians, with the results of investigations being announced transparently in accordance with national and international laws.
The Rapid Support Forces statement linked the truce to a comprehensive and fair political process that excludes what it described as the “terrorist Islamic movement” and the National Congress Party, considering them “responsible for the tragedies of three decades.”
The statement also included a call for the international community to support the truce, participate in monitoring, foster confidence-building, support an inclusive political dialogue, and provide urgent humanitarian assistance, concluding by emphasizing that the Rapid Support Forces are “of the people and with the people” and are committed to the path of peace until the war ends.
According to experts, the statement is a major embarrassment for the commander of the Port Sudan forces, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, as the Rapid Support Forces’ unilateral declaration of a truce with clear and reasonable conditions puts him in a very awkward position before the international community and domestic public opinion.
The Rapid Support Forces’ statement comes in parallel with Burhan’s “agitated” speech on Monday in response to Trump’s initiative, in which he insisted on slogans such as “no negotiation and no partnership,” which, according to experts, means that Burhan will find himself forced to reject a humanitarian initiative that enjoys direct American and broad regional support.
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