Negotiations to continue in KSA between RSF, Sudanese Army

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
8 May 09:32

It is reportedly claimed that military and humanitarian matters will only be discussed, as the Saudi Foreign Ministry stated that pre-negotiation talks have taken place.

Smoke is seen rising from a neighborhood in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 15, 2023 (AP)

The Saudi Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday that talks will continue in Jeddah between both the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) until a temporary ceasefire is agreed upon, as media reports that both parties are en route to the Saudi city.

According to the Foreign Ministry, both sides began pre-negotiation talks on May 6, while it is reportedly claimed that only military and humanitarian matters will be discussed.

"The talks continued on May 7 and will continue in the coming days in the expectation of reaching an effective short-term ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian assistance," the foreign ministry stated on Sunday, following the joint initiative between Saudi Arabia and the US to mediate the talks.

The ministry also relayed that security measures were already being discussed to ease the delivery of emergency humanitarian aid to the Sudanese people alongside the attempt to restore essential services.

Read more: Sudan: A borderless conflict

Multiple truce deals have been declared and quickly violated since battles erupted between the parties on April 15.

The latest, was when the RSF confirmed on Friday that it had agreed to extend the ceasefire - mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia - for an additional 72 hours "in order to open humanitarian corridors, facilitate the movement of citizens and residents, enable them to fulfill their needs, and reach hospitals and safe areas."

Fierce combat in Sudan has killed hundreds of people, most of them civilians, wounded thousands, and sparked multiple warnings of a potential "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis. More than 100,000 people have already fled the country.

As a result, UN top humanitarian official Martin Griffiths arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday for ceasefire talks between Sudan's warring generals, as gun battles and airstrikes flared in the Sudanese capital at the start of a fourth week of fighting.

At least 700 people have been killed in the fighting so far, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The Sudanese Doctors Union said 479 of the dead were civilians.

Hundreds of thousands have been displaced either internally or to neighboring countries, while the UN has warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis and the threat of famine.

Sudan Turmoil

Clashes broke out after weeks of tension between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Though the two groups were once allies, tensions have been brewing since the proposed integration of the RSF into the military. As factions battle for control, where is Khartoum headed?