Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced on Saturday that his government would not participate in peace talks with rival paramilitaries in Switzerland, stating, “We will not go to Geneva… we will fight for 100 years.” This declaration comes after over 16 months of conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The United States had initiated talks in Switzerland on August 14, aiming to ease the humanitarian crisis and secure a lasting ceasefire. While the RSF attended the talks, Sudanese armed forces opted not to participate, expressing dissatisfaction with the format, though they remained in telephone contact with mediators.
The discussions, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and Switzerland and supported by the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations, concluded on Friday without achieving a ceasefire. However, some progress was made in securing aid access through two key routes into the country.
The ongoing conflict has led to one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, forcing one in five Sudanese to flee their homes and leaving more than 25 million people—over half the population—facing acute hunger.
