Sudan’s two warring generals on Friday sent their envoys to Saudi Arabia for talks aimed at firming up a shaky ceasefire after three weeks of fierce fighting that has killed hundreds and pushed the African country to the brink of collapse, three Sudanese officials said.
The negotiations would be the first between Sudan’s military, led by General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, since clashes broke out on April 15.
According to the three — two senior military officials and one from their paramilitary rival — the talks were to begin yesterday in the Saudi Arabian coastal city of Jeddah, following concerted efforts by Riyad and other international powers to pressure the warring sides in Sudan to the negotiating table.
Photo: AP
The three officials spoke on condition of anonymity. No timeframe was given for the length of the talks.
The fighting has turned Sudan’s capital of Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields, and pushed hundreds of thousands from their homes. There is increasing concern for those trapped and displaced by the fighting, and aid workers and civilians have said there is a dire lack of basic services, medical care, food and water.
Foreign governments have rushed to evacuate their diplomats and thousands of foreign nationals out of Sudan. Saudi warships have been ferrying those fleeing from Port Sudan, on Sudan’s Red Sea coast, which has now become the entry hub for aid sent to the embattled nation.
A series of fragile and often violated ceasefires over the past three weeks has failed to stop the fighting. Fierce battles raged on Friday in areas around the military’s headquarters and the international airport in Khartoum, according to residents.
The talks in Jeddah would address the opening of humanitarian corridors in Khartoum and the adjacent city of Omdurman, which have been the centers of the battles, the officials said.
One of the officials said the talks are part of an initiative proposed by The US and Saudi Arabia, adding that they would also discuss providing protection to civilian infrastructure, including health facilities.
The RSF official said that Saudi Arabian and US officials would facilitate the talks. He said they would also discuss a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire and confirmed on Friday that the RSF delegation had left for Jeddah.
Sudan’s military said its delegation had also departed to Saudi Arabia, saying the talks would discuss “details of the truce.”
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