Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to enter a humanitarian truce with government forces as part of a mediation initiative proposed by the United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

"In response to the aspirations and interests of the Sudanese people, the Rapid Support Forces affirms its agreement to enter into the humanitarian truce proposed by the Quad countries... to address the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the war and enhance the protection of civilians," the RSF said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the agreement, humanitarian aid deliveries are set to begin immediately. The RSF also expressed hope that the truce could serve as a step toward a broader ceasefire and negotiations on a long-term political solution to end the conflict.

The announcement follows weeks of intensified fighting, including the RSF’s seizure of the Sudanese army’s 6th Infantry Division headquarters in El Fasher on October 26, after 18 months of continuous clashes. A Sudanese official later confirmed that at least 2,200 people were killed in the battle for the city, once the government’s main stronghold in North Darfur.

Sudan has been gripped by war since April 15, 2023, when fighting erupted between the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and the Sudanese Armed Forces. Although the army claimed in March that it had retaken control of the capital, Khartoum, RSF forces escalated operations in Darfur and Kordofan, eventually announcing the formation of a rival government in areas under their control.