U.S. says Sudan’s warring parties agree in principle to humanitarian truce - report

In a report by Sudan Tribune, Boulos said both sides had given an initial welcome to the proposal and that U.S. efforts were now focused on finalising the terms of the agreement.

“Both parties have agreed in principle, and we have not recorded any initial objection from either side. We are now focusing on the fine details,” he said.

He added that the truce would be part of a broader nine-month plan endorsed by the Quad Committee, comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, aimed at paving the way toward a comprehensive ceasefire and a post-truce political process.

However, Boulos cautioned that reaching an agreement would take time due to “complex technical, security, and logistical details,” including mechanisms for monitoring and implementation.

“The current objective is to reach an understanding on a complete framework for a ceasefire and then open the door for the post-truce phase,” he said.

According to Boulos, work on the nine-month phase would begin immediately after the truce is concluded.

He added that the United States was engaging separately with both sides rather than facilitating direct or indirect negotiations between them.

Boulos described Sudan’s humanitarian crisis as “very urgent,” noting that about 25 million people require assistance.

He condemned recent violence in El Fasher, and stressed that aid operations “must not be linked to any political or military arrangements.”

A U.S. follow-up committee, he added, continues to work with both parties to facilitate aid delivery even without a formal ceasefire.

When asked about calls to designate the RSF as a terrorist organisation over alleged atrocities, Boulos said the current phase “does not require designating one group or another.”

He added that Washington had imposed sanctions on individuals from both sides, most recently in August.

Fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF broke out in April 2023, triggering a nationwide humanitarian disaster, killing more than 150,000 people and displacing around 12 million.

Despite repeated mediation attempts, a durable ceasefire has yet to be achieved, with heavy clashes persisting in several regions, including Darfur.