On Tuesday, the commander of Sudan’s Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, expressed optimism about the peace negotiations currently being held in Jeddah, stating his belief that the Saudi-US-brokered discussions could bring about long-lasting peace.
These remarks came during a phone conversation with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, according to a statement from Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, headed by Al-Burhan.
Al-Burhan emphasized that the success of the Jeddah peace talks was reliant on the commitment of the opposition forces to withdraw from civilian areas such as hospitals, service centers, and residential buildings. In addition, he stressed the importance of facilitating aid delivery by creating safe passages and ensuring the safe evacuation of the injured.
The peace negotiations, led by Saudi Arabia and the United States, have been ongoing between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The negotiations culminated in the signing of an Agreement on a Short-Term Ceasefire and Humanitarian Arrangements, which, unfortunately, expired on June 3.
Last week, both Saudi Arabia and the United States announced the temporary halt of these peace talks involving the Sudanese military and the RSF.
Over the past few weeks, deadly armed conflicts have erupted between the Sudanese army and the RSF, in the capital city of Khartoum and other regions. Since mid-April, these clashes have resulted in 863 deaths and left over 3,500 individuals injured, as reported by the Sudanese Doctors Union.
The violent clashes have prompted a massive displacement of people, with an estimated 1.6 million individuals seeking refuge in safer areas within Sudan and across its borders, according to UN statistics.
