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Rabat – The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Wednesday their readiness to participate in US-mediated ceasefire talks aimed at ending the ongoing civil war in Sudan.
The announcement follows an invitation from the United States to both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for negotiations set to take place in Switzerland on August 14.
RSF leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, expressed his group’s commitment to the peace process, stating that they welcome the opportunity to negotiate. He emphasized the RSF’s goal of saving lives, stopping the fighting, and paving the way for a peaceful political solution that restores civilian rule and democratic transition in Sudan.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the talks aim to “reach a nationwide cessation of violence, enabling humanitarian access to all those in need, and develop a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure implementation of any agreement.”
The negotiations will be co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and will include the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations as observers.
Blinken highlighted the “scale of death, suffering, and destruction in Sudan,” describing the current situation as “devastating.” He added, “This senseless conflict must end.”
The Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has yet to respond to the invitation.
The conflict between the RSF and the military government has been ongoing since April 2023. The war resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced over 10.7 million people.
Reports of numerous war crimes and a severe humanitarian crisis have emerged, with a recent UN report highlighting that nearly 26 million people in Sudan are suffering from food, water, and medicine shortages due to the war.
A recent report from the Dutch Clingendael Institute estimated that 2.5 million could die from hunger and related causes in Sudan by September 2024 if the ongoing crisis continues.
Efforts to end the conflict have faced significant challenges, with previous negotiations producing only temporary truces that were quickly violated.
