The Sudanese army says its air-defence systems intercepted drone strikes on Omdurman and Atbara shortly after the RSF indicated it would accept a Quad-brokered ceasefire proposal. SAF has not formally agreed to the plan and insists it will only pause operations if the RSF withdraws from civilian areas and disarms. The RSF's announcement followed its capture of el-Fasher amid reports of mass killings and sexual violence. The conflict, which escalated in 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and prompted international alarm over a growing humanitarian crisis.
Sudanese Army Intercepts Drone Attacks as RSF Signals Willingness to Accept Truce
The Sudanese army says its air-defence systems intercepted drone strikes on Omdurman and Atbara shortly after the RSF indicated it would accept a Quad-brokered ceasefire proposal. SAF has not formally agreed to the plan and insists it will only pause operations if the RSF withdraws from civilian areas and disarms. The RSF's announcement followed its capture of el-Fasher amid reports of mass killings and sexual violence. The conflict, which escalated in 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and prompted international alarm over a growing humanitarian crisis.
22:17, 07.11.2025Conflict
Drone strikes intercepted after RSF signals acceptance of ceasefire proposal
Loud explosions were heard in Khartoum, the capital controlled by Sudan’s regular army, shortly after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) indicated it would accept a truce following more than two years of intense fighting with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
According to Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan, early on Friday the army's air-defence systems intercepted drone strikes targeting Omdurman, part of greater Khartoum, and the army-held city of Atbara to the north.
The RSF's announcement came after the group responded positively to a ceasefire proposal put forward by the Quad — a group of international mediators that includes the United States, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The Quad proposal envisions a three-month humanitarian pause followed by a permanent ceasefire and a pathway toward a political transition to civilian rule.
A Sudanese military official told The Associated Press that the army welcomed the plan but said it would only agree to a truce once the RSF withdraws completely from civilian areas and surrenders its weapons. Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera's Morgan said the army appears prepared to continue operations until those conditions are met, while the RSF seems set to press on until the Quad plan is accepted.
Recent developments and concerns
Khartoum has experienced relative calm since the regular army reasserted control earlier this year, but the RSF continues to mount attacks in multiple regions. The RSF's declaration of agreement with the truce came more than a week after the group seized el-Fasher, a city in western Darfur that had been under siege for more than 18 months and was the last major military stronghold in the region.
Observers and aid groups reported mass killings, sexual violence and looting in the wake of the el-Fasher takeover, prompting international condemnation and alarm about further atrocities as the conflict shifts toward Khartoum and into the oil-rich Kordofan region.
The Sudan Tribune cited diplomatic sources saying the US reportedly tried to persuade army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to accept the truce by offering potential lifting of sanctions and access to mining investment opportunities. Meanwhile, the United Nations has accused the United Arab Emirates — a Quad member — of supplying arms to the RSF; the UAE has strongly denied those allegations. Senior UAE diplomat Anwar Gargash criticized earlier international support for both al-Burhan and RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti) following their 2021 takeover of a power-sharing government.
War broke out in 2023 after tensions between al-Burhan and Dagalo escalated. The World Health Organization estimates at least 40,000 people have been killed, and aid groups warn the true death toll may be significantly higher. The UN describes the situation as the world's worst humanitarian disaster, with civilians bearing the greatest suffering.
What to watch next: whether SAF formally accepts the Quad plan, whether the RSF follows through on its announced agreement, and the humanitarian impact if the truce holds or collapses.