Sudan: Geneva talks are futile
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Sudan's Foreign Ministry slams the Geneva talks, accusing the RSF of using them as a propaganda platform to obscure its on-ground crimes.
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Women and children sit outside their tent, set up at a camp for internally displaced Sudanese from Sennar state, in the al-Huri district of Gedaref city east of war-torn Sudan on July 14. (AFP)
The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that, as the Geneva Talks between the US envoy and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began, the RSF launched an attack on Wednesday evening targeting Al-Khansa Secondary School for Girls and a primary school in al-Obeid, North Kordofan.
The bombings resulted in the deaths of five civilians and injuries to 30 students.
In its statement, the ministry criticized the Geneva talks, asserting that they have proven ineffective. It accused the RSF of using the talks as a propaganda platform to obscure its on-ground crimes.
Talks lack a legal basis
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry further stated that "peace cannot be achieved by allowing the militia to evade previous agreements and obligations under international humanitarian law, or by treating those who supply it with long-range artillery, missiles, and drones used against civilians as peace partners."
"Discussing Sudanese issues without the government’s involvement lacks legal basis under international law and the UN Charter," it further stressed.
The statement also noted that "the large-scale protests by Sudanese in Geneva against the manipulation of their will and the legitimization of those responsible for their suffering reflect this stance."
It highlighted the RSF’s intensified attacks, including bombings of residential areas in the Karari district of Greater Omdurman and a missile strike on the Al-Nao Hospital in the City of the Revolution, which resulted in severe injuries to four patients.
The ministry concluded that "these acts of terrorism by the militia on the same day it claims to initiate peace talks underscore the futility of the current Geneva discussions."
It is worth noting that these talks, organized by the United States, commenced on Wednesday in a closed-door setting, with representatives from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and delegations from several regional countries, including Egypt, the UAE, and other African nations.
At the time, diplomatic sources in Geneva revealed that the United States had been exerting significant pressure on the Sudanese government, urging it to reconsider its boycott of the ongoing talks that began in Geneva.
Meanwhile, Sudan continues to suffer from accumulating humanitarian crises, including widespread hunger, displacement, lack of medical care, and thousands of deaths among civilians.
Read more: Sudan war ravaging millions of lives over a year into conflict
