SAF and RSF Sign Treaty of Jeddah — Warring Parties Commit to Civilian Protection and Humanitarian Access

Sudan's Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces signed the Treaty of Jeddah on May 20, 2026, brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States, committing both warring parties to ensuring the safe passage of civilians, protecting relief workers, and prohibiting the use of civilians as human shields. The agreement followed May 6 direct SAF-RSF talks in Jeddah — the first direct face-to-face contact between the parties since the 2023 Jeddah Process collapsed — and reflects sustained US-Saudi pressure for a humanitarian framework even as full political negotiations remain stalled. The Treaty of Jeddah's humanitarian provisions exist in notable tension with the broader military-political situation: al-Burhan issued an executive order formally derecognizing the RSF as a state institution on May 18 and stripped Hemedti of his Transitional Sovereignty Council role on May 19, reflecting SAF's stated objective of total military victory rather than negotiated settlement. The treaty is therefore best understood as a narrow humanitarian agreement rather than a ceasefire framework — analogous to the humanitarian pauses negotiated in other active conflicts where political resolution is not imminent. International Crisis Group's May 2026 'Divided Sudan, Elusive Peace' brief noted that SAF's maximalist position was the primary structural obstacle to a full peace process; the Treaty of Jeddah addresses humanitarian access without altering that posture. Humanitarian organizations operating in Sudan including OCHA, WFP, and MSF have long documented that both sides systematically violated civilian protection norms — the treaty's practical enforcement mechanisms and compliance monitoring arrangements were not immediately disclosed. The UN Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan (2026) remains only ~20% funded as of mid-May 2026, and 19.5 million Sudanese face acute food insecurity regardless of the agreement.