Western Journalists Downplay Militia’s Acceptance of Humanitarian Truce

Sudanhorizon – Mohammed Osman Adam
The Times newspaper published an article on Friday, almost entirely devoted to downplaying the significance of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreeing to the humanitarian ceasefire proposal put forward by the Quartet.
The piece, written by Pranav Bhaskar and Declan Walsh, was titled “Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces Accept Truce Plan, but Army Rejects It.” The authors described the RSF’s announcement of its acceptance of the ceasefire proposal as “noteworthy,” coming “after mounting international condemnation of the atrocities it committed in Darfur.”
By contrast, the article noted, “the Sudanese army reaffirmed its determination to defeat the RSF by force, showing no indication of full acceptance of the proposal.”
According to Bhaskar and Walsh, the RSF’s positive response appeared to be a reaction to growing international pressure over its crimes following the militia’s capture of El Fasher, the last major city in Darfur previously beyond its control.
The report highlighted that a stream of verified images and eyewitness testimonies confirmed a series of massacres in the city. It said the RSF had imposed a brutal 18-month siege on El Fasher, starving its population and bombarding neighbourhoods. After the city fell 11 days ago, the RSF shot civilians attempting to flee, killing them indiscriminately.
The article quoted Tom Fletcher, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief at the United Nations, who told the UN Security Council last week:
“Women and girls are being raped, people are being mutilated and killed with impunity. We may not hear the screams, but as we sit here today, the horror continues.”
The Times report went on to list further examples of RSF misconduct and atrocities, noting that the UN Human Rights Council announced on Thursday it would hold an emergency session next week to discuss the worsening situation in El Fasher.
The article also underscored the scale of Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, stating that the war has displaced at least 12 million people and claimed as many as 400,000 lives, while famine continues to spread across the country.
It further cited the open-source research group Bellingcat, which confirmed a mass killing of at least 80 people near El Fasher during the siege, based on verified videos showing fighters wearing RSF insignia during and after the executions.
In conclusion, The Times reported that, according to the World Health Organisation, more than 460 people were killed at El Fasher’s main hospital during the RSF’s assault on the city last week.

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