U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Sudan’s military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to participate in peace talks in Geneva.
General al-Burhan has tried various tactics to stall the peace talks even though his SAF has been suffering major losses in the battlefield.
Sudan has been mired by fighting for over a year between RSF and SAF, millions have been displaced and a famine outbreak has been recorded in the country. International actors view Geneva Talks as last ditch effort to find a solution to the Sudanese crisis.
Al-Burhan’s SAF and allied Islamist militias have been accused of trying to derail the peace talks and reinstall the old regime.
Blinken underlined that the negotiations between RSF and al-Burhan’s SAF will center on implementing the humanitarian-focused Jeddah Declaration, according to a statement from the State Department.
This marks Blinken’s second call to al-Burhan this month, underscoring the urgency of a ceasefire and ensuring unrestricted humanitarian access in the war-torn country.
Al-Burhan had previously declined to join the Geneva talks, voicing concerns over the agenda and the participation of the UAE.
However, Blinken emphasized that the international community, including Switzerland and Saudi Arabia as co-hosts, has united to support the talks.
The primary goal is to secure compliance with the Jeddah Declaration, which calls for a cessation of hostilities, improved humanitarian access, and a mechanism for monitoring the implementation of these objectives.
Al-Burhan has justified SAF’s absence from the talks by citing the failure to implement prior commitments, brokered by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, to withdraw combatants from civilian areas and facilitate the distribution of aid.
Mediators have noted that al-Burhan’s SAF has largely ignored and did not comply with Jeddah agreements as well.
“Secretary Blinken stressed that the Geneva talks aim to fulfill commitments made in the Jeddah Declaration, focusing on ending hostilities and ensuring aid reaches millions of Sudanese in need,” the statement read.
Diplomatic representatives from the U.S., Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, the African Union, and the United Nations convened in Switzerland on Wednesday to launch intensive discussions aimed at resolving the Sudanese crisis.
A joint statement from the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan revealed that the opening day of talks involved small-group sessions with technical experts, resulting in tangible ideas for enforcing the Jeddah Declaration’s commitments.
Talks will continue until next week.
