Sudan`s army chief and Sovereignty Council President General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

The Sudanese army has rejected a US proposal for a ceasefire, vowing instead to intensify its fight against the so-called Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country`s paramilitary group that now control much of western Sudan.

In a statement on Thursday, the Sudanese army announced its rejection of a US-sponsored ceasefire initiative, declaring its intention to mobilize public support to defeat the RSF militia, as the country sinks deeper into what rights groups call the world`s largest humanitarian crisis.

The decision came after an emergency meeting of the Military Defense Council chaired by army chief and Sovereignty Council President General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, vowing to crush the RSF elements through a general mobilization campaign.

"The council has decided to rally the Sudanese people behind the armed forces to eliminate the rebel militias as part of the general mobilization and the state`s efforts to end this rebellion," al-Burhan said, reaffirming the army`s determination to secure Sudan`s borders

He added that what he termed the "campaign led by the countries of aggression and arrogance" against Sudan and its army "will break, and the people will triumph," adding, "We are moving towards a near and imminent victory."

Al-Burhan also promised an "imminent victory," insisting that those fighting for the people "will not be defeated."

His remarks came just days after the RSF seized El Fasher, the army`s last stronghold in West Darfur, sparking reports of massacres and the mass exodus of civilians toward northern and western Darfur.

Since the war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and roughly 13 million displaced, with the RSF now in control of nearly all five states of the Darfur region.

Currently, the army maintains dominance over most of the remaining 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum, as the bloody conflict has fractured the African country, destroyed infrastructure, and paralyzed humanitarian aid efforts.

Amnesty International has already warned that Sudan has become "the largest humanitarian crisis the world is experiencing today."

The rights group also reported that the RSF is committing house-to-house killings and other brutal assaults, with over 12 million people displaced and 14 million children in urgent need of assistance to survive.

RSF agrees to US-led humanitarian truce

Separately on Thursday, the RSF announced that it had accepted a truce proposed by the US-led mediator group, also known as the Quad, which includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"The Rapid Support Forces also looks forward to implementing the agreement and immediately commencing discussions on the arrangements for a cessation of hostilities and the fundamental principles guiding the political process in Sudan, in a manner that addresses the root causes of the conflicts, ends the suffering of the Sudanese people," the RSF statement read.

MORE:

The agreement comes more than a week after the RSF captured El Fasher, the last military stronghold in Darfur, which had been under siege for 18 months.

The US-led plan would start with a three-month humanitarian truce followed by a nine-month political process. This is while Sudanese army officials say they will only agree if the RSF withdraws from civilian areas and relinquishes weapons, as per prior proposals.

The humanitarian situation in Sudan remains dire. More than 70,000 people fled El Fasher in a single week after RSF attacks, which included house-to-house killings, sexual assaults, and the massacre of more than 450 people at a hospital.

Displaced families are arriving at overcrowded camps, with resources stretched dangerously thin, with Islamic Relief reporting that 83 percent of families in eastern and western Sudan lack sufficient food.

Doctors and aid groups warn that the massive influx is straining community kitchens and healthcare services, and many of those fleeing endured harrowing journeys on foot, particularly women and children, with survivors recounting extreme violence, drone strikes, and near-starvation during the escape.