US Ceasefire Proposal for Sudan Faces Sudanese Official’s Partition Warning

On Sept 30, U.S. Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos presented a plan calling for a 90-day ceasefire in Sudan, followed by negotiations aimed at ending the civil war and resuming the transition to civilian rule. The proposal was met with immediate pushback from the army-led authorities: the United Nations-General-Assembly-attending delegation of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had its visa withheld after refusing to accept the plan.

Reuters

The conflict pits Sudan’s regular armed forces against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a rivalry that intensified in 2023 after the two factions failed to agree on integrating their troops into a civilian-led government. Analysts have warned that the war could fracture Sudan in a manner similar to neighboring Libya, which has been divided between rival eastern and western administrations for more than a decade. Since last year the RSF has attempted to establish a parallel administration in Nyala, western Darfur, appointing ministers and operating limited police units, though it has not created full public services.

Reuters

It has also accused the RSF of genocide and the army of war crimes, including alleged use of chemical weapons. The U.S. proposal, according to officials, is intended to halt hostilities and create a framework for a negotiated political settlement.

The Jerusalem Post

• “Mr Boulos seems to be putting pressure on us to accept a de facto partitioning of the country similar to the Libyan model,” — Amjad Farid, an adviser to army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

The Jerusalem Post

• “Our concern is that the approach Mr Boulos continues to advance appears to accommodate the militia’s continued existence and preserve a place ?for it in Sudan’s political future,” — Amjad Farid, an adviser to army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

The Jerusalem Post