Mediators seek end to the fighting in Sudan with talks in Saudi Arabia

May 7, 2023 Elwin Mandowa

Envoys from Sudan’s warring parties traveled to Saudi Arabia for talks as mediators hope it will bring an end to a three-week old conflict.

The conflict has resulted in the death of hundreds of people with thousands fleeing for safety.

The U.S.-Saudi initiative is the first serious attempt to end fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The warring parties though say they are only interested in discussing a humanitarian truce, not negotiate an end to the war.

RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, said he hoped the talks would achieve their intended aim of securing safe passage for civilians.

– Advertisement –

Hemedti has also vowed to either capture or kill army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The US President Joe Biden had issued an executive order authorising sanctions against Sudan.

Mr. Biden who has called the violence a tragedy and a betrayal of the Sudanese people said the fighting must end.

The US president said the violence in Sudan was a “threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States”.

Fighting in Sudan hasn’t abated as previous negotiated cease fires failed to hold with heavy fighting continuing in the capital Khartoum, as well as the adjoining cities of Omdurman and Bahri.

The fighting between the rival groups followed rising tensions over the RSF’s integration into the military.

The main sticking points are plans to include the 100,000-strong RSF into the army, and who would then lead the new force.

The disagreement over the timetable for that has delayed the signing of an internationally backed agreement with political parties on a transition to democracy.