Three weeks after fighting broke out in Sudan, the parties to the conflict are negotiating a ceasefire in Saudi Arabia today. In a joint statement, the US and Saudi Arabia welcomed the start of initial talks between officials from both sides. The US President’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, is also expected in Saudi Arabia at the weekend.
Ceasefires have repeatedly been negotiated since the fighting began, but they have been broken again and again. According to official figures, more than 500 people died in the fighting. Because of the confusing situation, however, experts assume that the actual number is likely to be significantly higher.
The representatives of the opposing sides should take into account the interests of their people “in order to bring about a ceasefire and an end to the conflict,” said the statement by the United States and Saudi Arabia.
It is also about humanitarian aid
The Sudanese people must be spared suffering through a ceasefire. In addition, the availability of humanitarian aid for the affected areas must be guaranteed. The talks would also be supported by the United Arab Emirates, Great Britain, the League of Arab States and the African Union, among others.
In the country on the Horn of Africa, de facto President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is using the armed forces to wage a power struggle against his deputy, Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The two generals had once taken over the leadership in Sudan through joint military coups. But there was a rift over the distribution of power, which culminated in open fighting on April 15 and plunged the country with its approximately 46 million inhabitants into a crisis.
The United Nations Human Rights Council will discuss the situation in Sudan next Thursday. The special session was convened in Geneva at the request of Germany, Great Britain, Norway and the United States, as spokesman for the panel announced on Friday evening. The official topic of the session is “the impact of the conflict in Sudan on human rights”.
