US reviving peace process to end Sudan war: Foreign Policy
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The United States intends to arrange talks between the two Sudanese sides, to be hosted in Switzerland next month.
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South Sudanese who fled from Sudan sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, May 16, 2023. (AP)
The Biden administration is initiating a new push to end the Sudanese conflict—one of the deadliest in the world—with fresh peace talks after months of behind-the-scenes deliberations, According to five current and former officials familiar with the situation, as reported by Foreign Policy.
In an attempt to jumpstart long-stagnant attempts to put an end to a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and driven millions more to the verge of starvation, the United States intends to arrange talks between the two warring Sudanese sides in Switzerland next month.
The meetings will be co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and Switzerland, while observers from other regional states and organizations involved in the crisis, such as the African Union, United Nations, Egypt, and United Arab Emirates, will be invited, according to the officials. The meetings are set for the middle of August.
According to multiple officials, Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan, will actively participate in persuading key negotiators from both sides of the conflict to attend future discussions. He intends to brief congressional overseers on the strategy this week.
The officials added that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who have both been heavily involved in Sudan policy, could open or directly oversee the negotiations if both sides demonstrate their seriousness about ending the conflict and send high-level negotiators.
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Sudan is grappling with the world's most severe hunger and displacement crisis over a year into the devastating war resulting from the violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The armed conflict has led to widespread destruction and death, with at least 16,000 dead and millions more displaced internally and externally amid a devastated healthcare system.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that over 7.7 million people have been internally displaced since the onset of the conflict. Additionally, more than 2 million people have sought refuge in neighboring countries, with children under the age of 18 making up 55% of these displaced persons.
UNICEF has identified Sudan as having the highest number of displaced children globally, with 5 million affected. The IOM has highlighted that the majority of these displacements come from Khartoum (36%), South Darfur (20%), and North Darfur (14%), the areas most affected by the war.
