Sudan Events – Agencies
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Tuesday that the United States has invited the Sudanese army SAF and the Rapid Support Forces RSF militia to participate in US-mediated ceasefire talks starting on August 14 in Switzerland.
The statement added that the talks will include the African Union AU , Egypt, the Emirates and the United Nations as observers.
Blinken said that Saudi Arabia will co-host the discussions.
“Over the past 15 months, horrific conflicts in Sudan have pushed millions to the brink of famine and displaced nearly 10 million people.
They continue to cause immeasurable suffering for the Sudanese people. The United States US remains committed to working with partners to end this devastating war. Building on previous engagements in Jeddah, to which Saudi Arabia contributed, the United States has invited the Sudanese Armed Forces SAF and Rapid Support Forces RSF to participate in U.S.-brokered ceasefire talks that will begin on August 14, 2024, in Switzerland.
We thank the Swiss government for its offer to host the talks and welcome Saudi Arabia as host.
The talks will include the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations as observers,” Blinken said.
The talks in Switzerland aim to achieve a comprehensive cessation of violence, enable humanitarian access to all those in need, and develop a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure any agreement is implemented.
“These talks are not intended to address broader political issues. As the Sudanese people have long demanded, civilian rule in Sudan must return and civilians must play the leading role in shaping a process to address political issues and restore Sudan’s democratic transition,” he said.
“The scale of death, suffering, and destruction in Sudan is appalling. This senseless conflict must end.
The United States US calls on the Sudanese Armed Forces SAF and Rapid Support Forces RSF to attend the talks and engage constructively, with a view to saving lives, ending the fighting, and creating a path toward a negotiated political solution to the conflict.
We join the Sudanese people’s calls for peace and a democratic transition, and urge both parties to stop fighting for a brighter future for Sudan.”
In a related context, Lina Yacoub, the director of the Al-Hadath office in Khartoum, said that Washington has not extended a formal invitation to the parties to the conflict in Sudan to resume “negotiations” in Switzerland on August 14.
