Army, RSF nominating representatives to kick off talks: Official
3 Min Read
A Sudanese official says both parties to the ongoing conflict in Sudan appointed representatives in order for talks to kick off.
-
A man walks by a house hit in recent fighting in Khartoum, Sudan, April 25, 2023 (AP)
The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces nominated representatives to conduct talks between the two parties, a high-ranking Sudanese Foreign Ministry official said on Saturday.
The official revealed that the nominees for representation in negotiations have been selected pending approval, adding that South Sudan was likely to host the talks between the two parties.
There are issues when it comes to traveling to the South Sudanese capital of Juba, he explained, as the ceasefire has not been enforced, which makes air travel impossible for either party.
Concurrently, the Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council and the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, underlined the army's commitment to the political process and the transition of power to a civilian government.
The Sudanese army will not act as a lever that gives any entity, group, or party the ability to seize power, Al-Burhan said.
Furthermore, he stressed that the Sudanese armed forces were committed to the political process that culminates in the establishment of a civil authority.
These statements come as an indirect response to the repeated accusations made by the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), about Al-Burhan's attempt to seize power and obstruct the handover of power to a civilian government.
Fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries reached its third week on Saturday, despite a renewed ceasefire, as warplanes on bombing flights drew intense anti-aircraft fire over Khartoum.
Sudan's armed forces agreed to extend the ceasefire, which was proposed for an additional 72 hours, to take effect from the expiry date of the current truce.
On the last day of the fourth ceasefire, clashes erupted at several points in Khartoum and plumes of smoke rose in the vicinity of the presidential palace in Khartoum, coinciding with the overflight of warplanes.
Al-Burhan and Dagalo have agreed to multiple fragile truces since the start of the fighting, with each side blaming the other for violating them.
Following mediation by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union, and the United Nations to achieve a longer-lasting ceasefire, the most recent three-day ceasefire was reached on Thursday.
As battles intensified on the ground, the two rival generals took aim at each other in the media, with Al-Burhan identifying the RSF as a militia that aims "to destroy Sudan" in an interview for US-based TV channel Alhurra.
He also added "mercenaries" were pouring over the border from Chad, Central African Republic, and Niger to fuel the chaos.
In response, Dagalo slammed the army chief in an interview for the BBC, saying he was "not trustworthy" and a "traitor".
The clashes have so far killed at least 512 people and wounded 4,193, as per the Health Ministry, with the death toll feared to be much higher.
According to the UN, around 75,000 people have been internally displaced as a result of the fighting in Khartoum, the states of Blue Nile and North Kordofan, as well as the western area of Darfur.
