Sudan's Government Rules Out Negotiations With RSF as War Displaces 14 Million

Is peace in Sudan even possible? A senior Sudanese official has firmly ruled out any negotiations with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), declaring there will be "no truce and no negotiation with an occupier." The declaration crushes hopes for a diplomatic solution to a nearly three-year war that has already displaced 14 million people.

The Government's Hard Line

In a statement on Thursday, December 25, Malik Agar Ayyir, deputy chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC), said that the "just peace that Sudan desires will be achieved through the roadmap and vision of its people and government." He dismissed narratives that the war is about achieving democracy, instead framing it as a "conflict over resources and a desire to change Sudan’s demographics."

This stance aligns with a plan recently presented to the United Nations Security Council by Prime Minister Kamil Idris. The plan demands that RSF fighters withdraw from territories they have seized, disarm in designated camps, and reintegrate into society—provided they aren't implicated in war crimes. The RSF has rejected this, with a top adviser calling the idea "closer to fantasy than to politics."

RSF Offensive and Humanitarian Crisis

Despite the government's defiant rhetoric, the RSF appears to be consolidating its power on the ground. On Thursday, the group announced it had established control over the Abu Qumra region in North Darfur and claimed it was advancing toward the strategic city of el-Obeid.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. According to international aid agencies, RSF fighters have continued to commit mass killings, systematic sexual violence, and burn bodies in Darfur to cover up war crimes. The RSF denies these allegations, claiming its primary duty is to "protect civilians," a statement starkly at odds with reports from the ground.