Riyadh (AFP) – Sudan’s conflicting parties have resumed negotiations in Saudi Arabia to try to end the six-month war that has left more than 9,000 dead, the foreign ministry announced on Thursday.
First change: October 26, 2023 – 7:12 p.m
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“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomes the resumption of negotiations between representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (FAR) in the city of Jeddah,” the statement said.
Since April, the war between the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the head of the FAR, has left more than 9,000 dead and more than 5.6 million displaced people and refugees, according to a greatly underestimated figure.
The two sides announced on Wednesday that they had accepted an invitation to resume negotiations in Jeddah (West) under the auspices of the US and Saudi Arabia.
Previous attempts at mediation resulted in brief ceasefires.
Representatives of the Igad States, the East African bloc consisting of Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and South Sudan, are attending the talks in Jeddah on behalf of the African Union, the Saudi press release said.
The Saudi ministry called on negotiators to respect an earlier agreement to protect civilians announced on May 11 and a ceasefire agreement signed on May 20. He also urged “to end the bloodshed and alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.”
Riyadh also said it hoped for a political agreement that would guarantee “the security, stability and prosperity of Sudan and its brotherly people.”
Washington has stepped up contacts to ensure talks resume, and its diplomatic chief Antony Blinken finalized the terms during a trip to Saudi Arabia last week, according to a U.S. official.
Map of Sudan showing the number of deaths by region due to the war between the army and paramilitaries, according to a survey by the NGO Acled from April 15 to October 20, 2023 © Nalini Lepetit-Chella, Sophie Ramis, Laurence Saubadu / AFP
According to an official, the new cycle of negotiations will focus on “a ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access” to Sudan and “other confidence-building measures.”
© 2023 AFP