Sudan army studying new US-Saudi truce proposal, says govt source

PORT SUDAN - Sudan's army has received and is considering a new proposal from the United States and Saudi Arabia for a truce with its rival paramilitary, a government source told AFP on Wednesday.

The Security and Defence Council -- a high-level body that includes officials from the army and the allied government -- "is holding a meeting today to discuss the US-Saudi initiative for a humanitarian truce and a ceasefire", the source said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.

Since April 2023, the war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has left tens of thousands dead and around 11 million displaced.

Truce efforts have repeatedly failed to produce a sustained ceasefire.

Talks led by the so-called Quad -- Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the US and Saudi Arabia -- have been deadlocked for months since army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan accused the group of bias in favour of the UAE.

The army last year broke ties with Abu Dhabi, accusing it of arming the RSF, which the UAE denies despite reports from UN experts, US lawmakers and international organisations.