To halt the ongoing 15-month conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese government announced, Friday, that it will send a delegation to Jeddah to discuss with the US government an invitation to attend peace negotiations in Geneva on August 14.
The Geneva talks, which the RSF have agreed to attend, represent a significant mediation attempt between the warring factions in Sudan, marking the first major peace effort in months.
The U.S. continues its diplomatic efforts to persuade Sudanese army chief, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to negotiate a ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian aid in Geneva.
During a phone call with al-Burhan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed Washington’s frustration with the army’s delays and emphasized the importance of their attendance at the upcoming meetings.
Blinken’s call to al-Burhan signals the Biden administration’s commitment to making the Geneva round successful, aiming to thwart attempts by a faction within the army opposed to peaceful solutions.
The U.S. State Department clarified that Blinken stressed the importance of the army delegation’s participation in the ceasefire talks, viewing this step as “the only solution to end the conflict, prevent famine, and restore civil political processes.”
This initiative coincides with statements by the US Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, who during a Security Council briefing on the International Criminal Court’s report regarding Sudan, called for decisive actions to end the violence, break the cycle of impunity, and hold those responsible for atrocities accountable.
The U.S. administration is seriously addressing the challenges hindering the negotiations, rallying regional support and endorsements from Sudan’s neighbouring countries through visits by its special envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, to Egypt, Djibouti, Kenya, and Ethiopia, reassuring al-Burhan that he will not be left vulnerable to his adversaries.
