Sudan peace talks focus on RSF city withdrawals and rebel leader Agar's dialogue plan

Former rebel commander Malik Agar Ayyir, now deputy chairman of Sudan’s transitional government, has proposed a national dialogue to end the three‑year civil war. His plan calls for restoring the state’s monopoly on arms, dissolving non‑state armed groups, and moving toward a civilian‑led government and free elections. The proposal seeks consensus among groups aligned with the internationally recognised government and stresses the need to address the role of external actors.

The Sudanese army, however, has made a key condition for accepting the United States‑backed peace initiative: the Rapid Support Forces must withdraw from all cities they have occupied since 11 May 2023. The U.S. draft called for a 90‑day humanitarian truce, a UN‑led mechanism for limited RSF pull‑backs in North Darfur and North Kordofan, a unified national army, and a civilian transition to elections. While the army approved most elements, it rejected the limited‑withdrawal language, insisting on a full pull‑out. The conflict, which began in April 2023 after a split between the army and RSF, has displaced millions, caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, and sparked accusations of genocide in Darfur.