The United States announced on Tuesday its call for the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to participate in peace talks in Switzerland next August, aiming to end the conflict in Sudan.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Washington “has invited the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to engage in ceasefire talks, mediated by the United States, starting on August 14 in Switzerland.”
Blinken added that the talks, also sponsored by Saudi Arabia, will include the African Union, Egypt, the UAE, and the United Nations as observers.
The objective, Blinken explained, is to “achieve a cessation of violence across the country, allow humanitarian aid to reach all those in need, and establish a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure the implementation of any agreement.”
He also noted that the talks, if held, will not “address broader political issues.”
Return to Negotiations
When asked about the chances of success for the upcoming talks, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said he could not “assess the likelihood of reaching an agreement, but we simply want to bring both parties back to the negotiating table.”
Miller added, “We hope the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces come to the negotiating table (…) and that this will be an opportunity to finally achieve a ceasefire,” noting that the warring parties have not yet responded to the invitation.
In contrast, Hemedti welcomed Blinken’s invitation to resume negotiations with the army on August 14.
He wrote on his “X” platform account, “I welcome the invitation announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and confirm our participation in the upcoming ceasefire talks on August 14, 2024, in Switzerland.”
He also expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland in organizing these important discussions.
In recent days, preliminary discussions were held in Geneva between the warring parties in Sudan and the UN envoy, Algerian diplomat Ramdane Lamamra, focusing on humanitarian aid and civilian protection.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a war between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.
The conflict has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands and triggered a significant humanitarian crisis.
Previous negotiation rounds held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, have not yielded any fruitful results.
The war has forced over 11 million people to flee their homes, both within Sudan and across its borders, according to the United Nations, devastating infrastructure and pushing the country to the brink of famine.
Both sides have been accused of committing war crimes for deliberately targeting civilians.
