The Sudanese Army disclosed the reasons for the collapse of indirect talks with the Rapid Support Forces that had been ongoing for over a month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The discussions focused on humanitarian issues, confidence-building measures, and ending military presence in the capital, Khartoum.
A government delegation member, speaking to Al Jazeera Net and requesting anonymity, indicated that the negotiations stalled due to the Rapid Support Forces’ insistence on establishing checkpoints on roads and near government institutions and service sites like water, electricity, and hospitals after their withdrawal from civilian homes in Khartoum.
This move was seen as a departure from the “Jeddah Declaration” signed by both parties in May, which committed to vacating civilian homes and service locations without any conditions.
The source highlighted concerns that the checkpoints by the Rapid Support Forces near roads, government institutions, and civilian sites pose a risk to citizens. Such checkpoints, they argued, should fall under the police’s responsibility and not the military, thus contradicting the Jeddah Declaration’s aim to end military presence in Khartoum.
The spokesperson accused the Rapid Support Forces of failing to implement confidence-building measures agreed upon between the parties.
This includes capturing their members who escaped from prisons during the second week of the war in mid-April, when several prisons in the capital were stormed, leading to the release of about 20,000 prisoners, including dozens of “rebels” involved in murder and drug cases, now fighting within the Rapid Support Forces’ ranks, including prominent field commanders.
Furthermore, the Rapid Support Forces were accused of not adhering to a halt in media escalation and continuing to conduct media campaigns and hate speech.
This was coupled with a military escalation in Darfur (west), indicating their lack of interest in de-escalation and reaching an agreement to end the war.
The government spokesperson also accused the Rapid Support Forces of attempting to bolster their forces with equipment and weapons through negotiations, by requesting humanitarian aid and relief to be delivered to the regions of Darfur and Kordofan through the airports of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, and Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, after taking control of these cities following the army’s tactical withdrawal.
The source noted that the Rapid Support Forces are trying to replicate the “Lifeline” operation experience for UN humanitarian aid in South Sudan before its secession.
This operation, which turned into a conduit for supporting rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement led by the late John Garang, was marred by international organization staff documenting the misuse of the operation for arms transportation.
They pointed out that former leaders of Garang’s movement are currently behind the Rapid Support Forces’ stance on this matter.
