In the news: The refusal of the Sudanese government to participate in peace talks, an impasse for the end of the civil war
Sudan’s military-backed government announced Sunday its refusal to participate in U.S.-sponsored peace talks scheduled for this week in Switzerland, dampening hopes of ending the country’s civil war.
A Sudanese government delegation held discussions over the weekend with the United States in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah regarding the invitation to the Geneva negotiations. However, the government stopped short of closing the door on its participation in negotiations aimed at ending 15 months of fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary militia.
The government is seeking guarantees that discussions will focus on the implementation of the existing Jeddah Agreement, signed last May, to facilitate humanitarian actions to meet the needs of civilians. He also insists that the government be represented by all of its components, and not just by the army, thus rejecting the participation of new observers or facilitators.
The United States has described the talks as primarily military, aimed at securing a ceasefire and facilitating humanitarian aid. The RSF has expressed its intention to participate in the Geneva talks.
Previous peace deals between the two sides have failed. The fighting in Sudan has already killed more than 15,000 people and displaced around 11 million people.
This impasse in the negotiations represents a serious setback in efforts to end Sudan’s civil war. The hope of seeing a peaceful and lasting resolution to this conflict seems to be fading, endangering the lives of thousands of civilians already affected by the clashes. The international community must redouble its efforts to find a solution to this major humanitarian crisis.