The Sudanese army has made the complete withdrawal of the Rapid Support Forces from the cities they control a condition for broad acceptance of a US proposal aimed at ending the war that has been ongoing for three years.

Documents published by Reuters, whose contents were confirmed by senior officials, show that a US proposal put forward last month called on both sides to agree to an immediate 90-day humanitarian truce, paving the way for negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and a peaceful civilian-led transition towards elections.

The proposal, which was received by the army-led Sudanese government on June 20, also called for establishing a UN-led mechanism to support limited withdrawal operations of the Rapid Support Forces, prioritizing North Darfur, where the paramilitary forces recently seized the city of El Fasher during a violent attack, and North Kordofan, which is currently a target for drone raids by the Rapid Support Forces.

According to the documents, the army-led Sudanese government, in its response to the US side on June 25, agreed to most of the proposal's terms but objected to the issue of limited withdrawal, stating that the plan should include the withdrawal of Rapid Support Forces from all cities they have controlled since May 11, 2023.

The army’s demand for a widespread withdrawal of the Rapid Support Forces has been a recurring obstacle in previous peace efforts.

The US State Department did not respond to a request for comment. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry also did not respond to a request for comment.

The US proposal also called for the formation of a unified national army with arrangements for disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration, as well as a civilian-led Sudanese political process that excludes the Muslim Brotherhood and elements of armed groups accused of committing atrocities.

After initially informing the UN Security Council that Sudan had rejected the proposal, US Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Masad Boulos said in a social media post last week that he was 'very pleased' to hear that Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan 'appears to have accepted—rather than rejected—the latest peace proposal'.

The United States has led previous failed attempts to end the conflict, which has caused millions to flee, spread hunger and disease, and is believed to have killed hundreds of thousands according to multiple estimates.

UN experts have accused the Rapid Support Forces of committing genocide in the Darfur region, where they have imposed control and begun establishing a parallel government. The Rapid Support Forces deny targeting civilians.

A senior Rapid Support Forces official told Reuters that the forces received the latest proposal, welcomed it, and provided a written response, but he did not provide further details. The Rapid Support Forces have previously welcomed peace proposals while continuing to launch attacks.

The paramilitary forces are currently conducting a drone campaign in the Kordofan region, located between Darfur and the eastern part of the country controlled by the army.

The war erupted in April 2023 after a dispute between the army and the Rapid Support Forces over plans to integrate their forces and transition to a civilian-led democratic phase.