Sudan rules out indirect talks with RSF in Washington

December 10, 2025 (CAIRO) – Sudanese diplomatic sources on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of holding indirect negotiations between the army-led government and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Washington.

The prospects for negotiation remain complex as international diplomatic efforts struggle to gain traction amidst escalating combat on the ground.

Sources told Sudan Tribune that the government’s recent decision represents its final position on negotiating with the RSF, following an indirect meeting mediated by the United States in Washington two months ago that failed to yield a humanitarian truce or ceasefire.

Before that meeting, Massad Boulos, the U.S. President’s Advisor on African Affairs, held three sessions with the government led by Sovereign Council President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to end the conflict.

Al-Burhan has repeatedly rejected the “Quad” proposal for a truce, stating that the government will accept only a complete RSF withdrawal from occupied areas and the cantonment of their troops as preconditions for talks.

Khartoum refuses to engage with the Quad Mechanism, which includes the U.S., the UK, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, citing objections to the United Arab Emirates’ presence in the group. Instead, the government is pursuing bilateral talks with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

While contacts have been made with individual Quad members to convey Khartoum’s position, both warring factions appear to be relying on military escalation to improve their negotiating leverage, dimming hopes for an imminent agreement.