Heavy explosions rocked Khartoum on Friday after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) intercepted drone attacks targeting army-controlled areas, just hours after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced readiness to accept a ceasefire proposal.
The early-morning strikes hit Omdurman—part of the greater Khartoum metropolitan area—and the northern city of Atbara. According to Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan, SAF air defence systems successfully neutralised the drones.
The flare-up came a day after the RSF publicly welcomed a ceasefire framework proposed by the Quad—comprising the United States, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
The plan includes a three-month humanitarian pause, followed by negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire and an eventual civilian-led political transition.
SAF has not yet issued a formal statement. However, a military official told The Associated Press that the army “welcomed” the initiative but would only accept a truce if the RSF fully withdrew from civilian areas and surrendered its weapons.
Reporting from Khartoum, Morgan noted that the army appears determined to continue fighting until those conditions are met, while the RSF insists hostilities will not stop unless the SAF commits to the Quad’s proposal.
Although Khartoum has enjoyed relative stability since the regular army regained control earlier this year, RSF attacks persist in multiple regions, fueling fears that the conflict could escalate.
Conflict Shifts East
Diplomatic sources cited by the Sudan Tribune on Thursday claimed the U.S. had attempted to persuade army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to agree to the ceasefire by offering incentives, including easing sanctions and opening investment opportunities in Sudan’s mining sector.
The RSF’s truce announcement also comes just over a week after the group captured el-Fasher, a city besieged for 18 months and the final remaining military stronghold in the Darfur region.
As both sides dig in, hopes for a humanitarian pause—and for millions of Sudanese caught in the crossfire—remain uncertain.
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