Sudan's army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan hailed US President Donald Trump's declared intention to work towards ending the civil war, but refrained from saying he would accept a truce after he pledged to continue fighting.
After Mr Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met at the White House in Washington, Massad Boulos, senior adviser to Mr Trump on Africa, said the US was “committed to ending the horrific conflict” in Sudan, before adding: “We are working with our partners to facilitate a humanitarian truce."
In response, Gen Al Burhan, Sudan's de facto leader, wrote on X: "The government of Sudan welcomes the efforts of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America to bring about a fair and just peace in Sudan.
"The government thanks them for their continuing interest and efforts to end the Sudanese bloodshed and assures them of its readiness to seriously engage with them to realise the peace that Sudanese people expect."
Gen Al Burhan's warm welcome of President Trump's remarks contrasts sharply with his repeated assertions, including those made last weekend, that he has no intention of negotiating with the army's war rival, the Rapid Support Forces, and will continue fighting until the RSF is defeated.
Osman Al Mirghany, a prominent Sudanese analyst, said: "His response to Trump's comments was surprisingly very quick. It came just minutes after the American president spoke.
"Al Burhan has a habit of responding positively to mediation offers only to be found out later that he was buying time or not taking follow-up steps," said Mr Al Mirghany, who believes the US President's remarks did not suggest a separate American-Saudi mediation.
Instead, he said Mr Trump's comments meant he would become more involved personally in the mediation effort already launched by his administration in collaboration with three of Washington's closest Arab allies: Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The four nations in September proposed a three-month humanitarian truce to be followed by a long-term ceasefire and a civilian-led government that shepherds a transition process to restore democratic rule.
The RSF, led by Gen Al Burhan's one-time ally Gen Mohamad Dagalo, has accepted the plan. Gen Al Burhan rejected it, a decision that raises questions about the sincerity of his positive response to Mr Trump's comments.
After his meeting with Prince Mohammed in Washington, Mr Trump said: "He mentioned Sudan yesterday, and he said, 'Sir, you're talking about a lot of wars, but there's a place on Earth called Sudan, and it's horrible what's happening'."
His administration began working on the issue half an hour after Prince Mohammed explained its importance, the US President said.
Mr Trump's pledge of closer engagement comes as Sudan is at a critical juncture, facing seemingly irreversible division as well as prolonged violence and hunger after 31 months of civil war.
Already, the fighting has displaced up to 14 million people. Tens of thousands have been killed. More than half the population is facing hunger, with pockets of famine likely to spread unless sufficient humanitarian aid soon reaches those suffering.
The conflict, the latest in a series of civil wars to have plagued the country since independence was gained almost 70 years ago, is essentially a power struggle between Gen Al Burhan and the RSF commander. After months of tension over their respective roles in establishing a democratic Sudan, differences boiled over into open warfare in April 2023.
On the battlefield, the RSF now controls Darfur, a region about the size of France, as well as parts of Kordofan. The army holds the capital Khartoum as well as the eastern, central and northern regions.
A military-backed government sits in Port Sudan on the Red Sea. A rival administration controlled by the RSF sits in Nyala in Darfur, where the army lost its last stronghold last month.
The loss of El Fasher in northern Darfur dealt a body blow to the army at a time when several cities in neighbouring Kordofan are under serious threat of falling to the RSF.
Forces allied with the army that tried earlier this year to advance on Darfur from Kordofan were routed by the RSF, leaving the army the only major force defending cities there such as Babanoussa, Kadugli and Al Obeid.
"If Al Burhan insists on militarily winning the war, it will be a very long time before the conflict ends and the win will come at a vast material and human cost," Mr Al Mirghany warned.
"The flow of modern weapons, foreign mercenaries and military advisers to the RSF makes the army's calculations for victory very complex," he said.
"Al Burhan has little choice but to welcome any mediation for peace so that Sudan can emerge from its present crisis," said Sudanese analyst Mohammed Lateef.
"Trump can exercise enough pressure to end the conflict. His direct engagement is a positive step in dealing with the crisis."
Al Shafie Ahmed contributed to this report from Kampala, Uganda.
