ENVOYS of Sudan’s army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have arrived in Jeddah for talks on Saturday, according to Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, as international mediators attempt to put an end to the conflict that has devastated the country.
The US-Saudi initiative is the first serious attempt to end three weeks of fighting that have turned parts of the Sudanese capital Khartoum into war zones and derailed an internationally backed plan to usher in civilian rule following years of unrest and uprisings.
Confirming the RSF’s attendance, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, said he hoped the talks would achieve their intended aim of securing safe passage for civilians. However, both sides have made it clear they would only discuss a humanitarian truce, not negotiate an end to the war.
Riyadh and Washington earlier welcomed the ‘pre-negotiation talks’ between the army and the RSF and urged them to actively engage following numerous violated ceasefires.
The conflict erupted on April 15 after the collapse of an internationally backed plan for a transition to democracy. The fighting has impacted vital infrastructure and caused the closure of most hospitals in conflict areas. UN agencies have warned of a humanitarian catastrophe if clashes continue.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said in a tweet he hoped both sides would ‘engage in dialogue that we hope will lead to the end of the conflict.’ However, evidence on the ground shows that both sides remain unwilling to make compromises to end the bloodshed. Warplanes were heard overnight in the city of Bahri across the Nile from Khartoum, and explosions startled residents. A local resident who gave his name as Ahmed said, ‘We don’t leave the house because we’re scared of stray bullets.’
The Turkish ambassador’s car also came under fire from unknown assailants, but the envoy was safe inside the embassy. Western powers have backed the transition to a civilian government in a country that sits at a strategic crossroads between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and Africa’s volatile Sahel region. The UN has significantly cut back its operations in Sudan after three of its employees were killed and its warehouses were looted, and sought guarantees of safe passage of humanitarian aid.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was travelling to Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi leaders. Saudi Arabia has had close ties to Burhan and Hemedti, both of whom sent troops to help the Saudi-led coalition in its war against the Houthi group in Yemen. The kingdom is also focused on security in the Red Sea, which it shares with Sudan.
