Sudan’s paramilitary leader will attend ceasefire talks in Switzerland, marking a crucial step towards peace. Get the details on this development.
This Tuesday, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces declared on social media his intention to partake in ceasefire negotiations in Switzerland next month.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have organized these efforts as a means of resolving the 15-month-long battle between the army and paramilitary group.
The talks between the two sides, which previously halted in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) towards the end of last year, will be focused on furthering discussions according to a statement from the US State Department.
Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, reiterated that they firmly believe in finding a non-military resolution to the ongoing conflict in Sudan. He emphasized on organizing national ceasefire negotiations with vital international partners’ support as the only viable solution to put an end to this crisis.
According to him, it is crucial to prevent the famine crisis in Sudan from spreading and allow sufficient room for reinstating the civilian political process.
Dagalo expressed his desire for the discussions to be a significant progression in attaining peace and steadiness in Sudan, establishing a novel state grounded on principles of “fairness, impartiality, and decentralized governance,” according to an article published on X.
He stated that our objective is to attain a comprehensive ceasefire throughout the country and enable access to humanitarian aid for all those who require it, alongside the international community.
The participation of General Abdel-Fattah Burhan’s army in the negotiations remains uncertain.
The office of Sudanese army’s spokesperson officials informed Associated Press that sending a delegation has not been decided yet.
The commencement of their journey is anticipated to take place on August 14th, but the exact location in Switzerland remains unknown.
According to the United Nations, more than 14,000 individuals have lost their lives and 33,000 others have been wounded in combat. However, activists advocating for human rights argue that the actual number of casualties may surpass this figure significantly.
The largest displacement crisis in the world has been caused, with more than 11 million individuals compelled to leave their dwellings. In addition, claims of widespread sexual assault and potential crimes against humanity have arisen as a result.
In the coming months, it has been cautioned by international experts that as many as 755,000 individuals could be confronted with famine.
A series of indirect talks were organized by the UN secretary-general’s envoy for Sudan in Geneva last week, with a focus on matters concerning humanitarian aid and safeguarding civilians.
