US Hosts Indirect Talks Between Sudan Army and RSF Ahead of Ceasefire Negotiations

Indirect preliminary talks between Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were held in Washington, D.C., described as a step toward formal ceasefire negotiations after more than a year and a half of war.

“Four UN agencies—IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF, and WFP—have issued an urgent call for international action to address Sudan’s severe humanitarian crisis after over 900 days of conflict”

International Organization for Migration

Dabanga reports that the two-day meetings were indirect, with each side meeting US officials separately under the supervision of the US Deputy Secretary of State, and aimed at preparing “military and political frameworks for Sudan’s post-war transition.”

International Organization for Migration

In parallel, Asharq Al-Awsat says the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt (the Quartet) last month proposed a roadmap starting with a three-month humanitarian truce leading to a permanent ceasefire and a nine-month track to an independent civilian government.

UN-linked appeals continue around the talks: Al Jazeera reports UN agencies urging an “immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and unrestricted humanitarian access,” while IOM notes that after “more than 900 days of conflict,” millions—especially women and children—face famine, disease, and collapse of essential services.

The talks unfold amid escalating battlefield pressure, especially drone strikes around Khartoum International Airport.

TRT World reports that seven drones hit the airport and southern neighborhoods for a third straight day.

Al-Jazeera Net

The RSF has not issued any statements regarding these attacks, according to TRT World.

France 24 similarly describes the capital and its airport being targeted by drones for the third consecutive day, linking the attacks to the RSF.

Anadolu adds that despite the third day of RSF strikes, the airport suffered no significant damage and handled its first civilian passenger flight the next day.

ABC News says an RSF drone attack came shortly after the first passenger flight in two years landed.

Agenzia Nova details seven drones striking before dawn, causing panic but no major damage, and notes a visit by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Eastleigh Voice reports that the RSF claimed responsibility and hit command targets, with minimal damage near the airport.

Casualty and displacement figures remain divergent across outlets, underlining uncertainty and scale.

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Malaysia Sun

TRT World puts the toll at over 20,000 deaths and displaced 14 million people.

France 24 cites tens of thousands of deaths and around 12 million displaced.

ABC News raises the death toll to at least 40,000 with 30 million people in need of aid.

Al-Jazeera Net tallies approximately 20,000 deaths and over 15 million displaced, while noting some estimates run as high as 130,000.

The IOM highlights the humanitarian system’s breakdown after more than 900 days, stressing women and children’s acute vulnerability.

Politically, the Quartet’s roadmap and Sudanese leadership postures shape the negotiating space.

Asharq Al-Awsat outlines the plan—three months of humanitarian truce then a permanent ceasefire to launch a nine‑month track to an independent civilian government—and warns against influence by extremist groups linked to the Brotherhood.

Al-Jazeera Net

Dabanga traces the Washington talks to earlier high-level contacts, including a Switzerland meeting with SAF leader Lt Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and confirms the indirect US-supervised format.

Agenzia Nova reports Burhan visiting the airport after drone attacks, vowing to defeat the RSF and exclude militias and mercenaries from talks.

The report also states that RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti, threatened to target airports, blamed the Brotherhood for the war, and called for an international investigation into violations tied to remnants of Omar al-Bashir’s regime.

Domestic conditions complicate diplomacy in Sudan.

“The government is attempting to restore services and relocate institutions from Port Sudan amid a conflict entering its third year”

France 24

France 24 reports that the government is working to restore services and relocate institutions from Port Sudan as the war enters its third year.

France 24

The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and around 12 million displaced people.

Malaysia Sun states that between November 2024 and September 2025, over one million displaced people returned to Khartoum.

However, security threats and attacks have repeatedly delayed the reopening of the airport.

Agenzia Nova highlights the increasing use of drones by both sides and Burhan's vow to defeat the RSF rebellion.

Al Jazeera reports that UN agencies are urging immediate protection for civilians and access to affected areas.

The International Organization for Migration emphasizes that after more than 900 days of conflict, women and children face famine, disease, and the collapse of essential services.

Looking ahead, the Washington track may hinge on aligning the Quartet’s ceasefire roadmap with military realities around Khartoum and beyond.

Dabanga frames the talks as an “advanced step” preparing formal negotiations, while Asharq Al-Awsat records Burhan’s conditional openness to a peace process that restores unity and ends “the rebellion.”

Yet the immediate backdrop—RSF and army drones, conflicting accounts of airport reopening, and surging humanitarian need—keeps pressure on negotiators.

ABC News, Anadolu, and France 24 diverge on the airport’s status, while Eastleigh Voice and TRT World differ on whether the RSF claimed the strikes.

UN agencies, via Al Jazeera and IOM, continue to demand an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted aid access.