On Thursday, the European Parliament found unusually strong words for the escalation of the war and the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan. Members of the European body passed a resolution which states that the grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights committed by both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), could constitute acts of genocide. The body also mulled halting a free trade agreement with the United Armed Emirates (UAE) over allegations that European weapons are being resold via Abu Dhabi to the paramilitary RSF. The UAE is widely thought to be a main backer of the militia, a claim which the Emirati government has strongly denied. After two and a half years of bitter fighting, as international attention turns more and more to Sudan, how close are the warring parties to reaching an agreement? The civil war in Sudan broke out in mid-April, 2023, amid a power struggle between the generals of the RSF and the SAF over the integration of paramilitary fighters into the state forces. Diplomatic efforts to put an end to the fighting have failed so far, but there many be fresh momentum. Earlier this week, in response to increased international efforts, including the involvement of US President Donald Trump and mediators from "the Quad" — consisting of representatives from the United States, Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia — the head the RSF, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, declared the "immediate cessation of hostilities" in the form of a "unilateral ceasefire." However, just a day later, the SAF reported that they repelled an RSF attack on an infantry base in West Kordofan. Both sides also rejected a recent US-backed truce plan, based on a September proposal by the Quad. It envisions a three-month humanitarian truce, followed by a ceasefire and a political transition process to establish a civilian-led government that excludes any warring party. SAF General Abdel-Fattah Burhan responded in a video statement, stating that the proposal was "unacceptable and the worst yet." Without going into detail, he also claimed that the proposal had adopted Emirati "talking points. The UAE is widely considered to be the main supporter of the RSF, even though Abu Dhabi denies this. UN expert panels and various human rights organizations have alleged that the RSF is receiving military supplies from the UAE. Evidence has repeatedly pointed to arms and ammunition of Emirati origin being used by the RSF. The UAE officially denies these claims. Nevertheless, the UAE is under mounting diplomatic, political, and public pressure to halt alleged support for the RSF.