Minnawi: Any Ceasefire Without RSF Withdrawal Means the Division of Sudan

Khartoum – Sudanhorizon
The Governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minnawi, has stressed the necessity of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) withdrawing from cities and residential areas, releasing abductees, and ensuring the safe return of displaced persons before any discussion of a ceasefire can take place.
In a statement posted on his social media accounts on Saturday, Minnawi warned that “any ceasefire without these steps means the division of Sudan.”
Minnawi, who oversees the Joint Force composed of Darfuri movements fighting alongside the Sudanese Armed Forces against the RSF, reaffirmed that no talk of calm or truce is meaningful while cities remain occupied and militias are entrenched in residential neighbourhoods, hospitals, and civilian facilities. Such a move, he said, would amount to nothing more than “cosmeticising violence and allowing the aggressor to reposition under the banner of peace.”
In its own statement, the Joint Force stressed that a genuine truce must begin with the withdrawal of the attacking forces, the protection of civilians, and the accountability of perpetrators for war crimes and atrocities.
It further emphasised that protecting civilians, documenting acts of genocide, and ensuring the safe return of displaced persons to their homes form the only credible basis for any peace process. Any agreement that ignores these truths, the statement warned, would be nothing more than “a cover for reproducing the catastrophe.”
The Joint Force — comprising armed groups from Darfur aligned with the Sudanese army — is currently active across North Darfur, North Kordofan, Khartoum, and northern Sudan.
It expressed deep concern over ongoing international initiatives proposing a “humanitarian truce” while the RSF continues to commit war crimes and acts of genocide, the most recent being the horrific massacres in El Fasher, which claimed the lives of thousands of civilians.
The Joint Force called on the international community to shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities regarding the situation in Darfur, particularly in El Fasher, which has been overrun by the RSF and cut off from all communication.
It also urged for the prosecution of all states and entities that continue to finance and arm the RSF, despite the overwhelming evidence of its crimes.

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