Ahead of the Ceasefire: Anticipation in El Fasher and Uncertainty Surrounding the Militia’s Position

Sudan Events – Agencies

More than a year after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) imposed a crippling siege on the city of El Fasher, residents are now anxiously awaiting the implementation of a humanitarian ceasefire, following the Transitional Sovereignty Council’s announcement of its approval of a UN proposal for a one-week truce.

This development comes amid a tragic deterioration in living conditions in El Fasher, alongside growing international calls to secure safe corridors for delivering aid to thousands of civilians trapped in the city.

Since April 2024, El Fasher has been under a complete blockade imposed by the RSF, which has led to the paralysis of public services and severe shortages of food and medicine—particularly following the halt of airdrop operations conducted by the Sudanese army for over five months.

UN Contact

In a statement published on its official platforms, the Sovereignty Council said that its president, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, had received a phone call from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who called for a temporary humanitarian ceasefire in El Fasher locality to facilitate aid delivery and ease civilian suffering.

Guterres welcomed the appointment of Kamil Idris as Prime Minister, expressing the UN’s full support for efforts to revive the civilian transition. Al-Burhan reaffirmed his commitment to forming a government composed of independent figures with full executive authority.

According to informed sources speaking to Al Jazeera Net, technical arrangements for the ceasefire have not yet begun, but the truce is expected to include a comprehensive halt to fire by both sides within El Fasher, a complete stop to military movements—including heavy machinery and aircraft—and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid through safe corridors currently being coordinated.

While the Sudanese government has officially approved the ceasefire proposal, the RSF has yet to release any statement or clarification regarding its position, raising questions about its willingness to adhere to the terms of the UN initiative.

In this context, the Joint Force of the Armed Struggle Movements affirmed its commitment to the announced truce, while warning against what it described as “symbolic ceasefires that the RSF routinely exploits for military gain.”

Colonel Ahmed Hussein Mustafa, spokesperson for the Joint Force, told Al Jazeera Net: “We support any humanitarian truce that protects civilian lives, but we will not allow a repeat of previous scenarios involving systematic violations by the other side. We will respond firmly to any attempt to destabilize the situation.”

Repeated Violations

Mustafa pointed to a recent incident in the Al-Kuma area east of El Fasher, where a humanitarian aid convoy was looted and set on fire, accusing the RSF of being behind the attack and describing it as “a full-fledged war crime and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”

He added, “We are coordinating with international partners to ensure the safety of humanitarian routes, but we will not accept the truce being used as a tool for RSF repositioning or for creating a new field reality that threatens civilians’ security.”

For its part, the El Fasher Resistance Committees Coordination described the declared truce as “a valuable opportunity to catch our breath,” praising international efforts to stop the fighting and open aid corridors.

Mohamed Hassan Mohamed “Quba,” a member of the coordination’s media committee, told Al Jazeera Net: “We appreciate every initiative that saves lives and puts an end to the humanitarian disaster in our city. This truce is a test of the parties’ intentions, and we hope it will serve as an entry point for genuine dialogue leading to a comprehensive reconciliation.”

He affirmed that the resistance committees will intensify on-the-ground efforts to support humanitarian initiatives and enhance neighborhood security, expressing hope that this step will mark the beginning of a peaceful path that ends the suffering of El Fasher and its surrounding areas.

UN Warnings

On June 20, 2025, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned of a serious deterioration in the humanitarian situation in El Fasher, stating that the crisis has reached unprecedented levels.

High Commissioner Volker Türk said in a press statement that reliable field reports indicate the RSF is currently “recruiting children to use in offensive operations against the besieged city,” describing this as “a flagrant violation of international law and a possible crime against humanity.”

Türk added, “The humanitarian consequences of continued and escalating hostilities in North Darfur and Kordofan will be disastrous unless the violence is immediately contained and safe corridors for aid delivery are opened.”

In the same context, monitoring teams from the Displacement Tracking Matrix revealed that 253 families fled Abu Shouk IDP camp and central El Fasher last week due to worsening security and economic collapse.

The data showed that these families moved to safer locations within El Fasher locality, while others fled toward areas like Saraf and Tawila in North Darfur State.

These developments come amid growing international concern over the escalating crisis, particularly with the approaching rainy season, which threatens to cut off roads and further complicate aid delivery due to poor infrastructure and the absence of real guarantees for civilian protection.

Potential Failure

Yaqub Al-Damouki, former media advisor to the RSF commander, told Al Jazeera Net: “I have serious doubts about the RSF’s commitment to the announced ceasefire, as its implementation fundamentally contradicts their strategy of depopulating El Fasher.”

He added that over the past year, the RSF has used siege and starvation as tools to pressure civilians into forced displacement, exploiting the situation as a strong negotiation card both militarily and politically.

“We saw how displaced people were recently moved from Zamzam camp to other areas under a propaganda campaign portraying the region as empty of civilians,” he said. “In my view, this paves the way for justifying a new military escalation against El Fasher.”

Al-Damouki noted that “the forced recruitment of children, looting of aid convoys, and terrorizing of residential neighborhoods are well-documented and ongoing practices, often concealed behind misleading media statements.”

He stressed in conclusion that “any ceasefire lacking neutral and effective monitoring mechanisms will be meaningless, while civilians remain the sole victims.”

Source: Al Jazeera Net