Saudi Arabia is set to host fresh peace talks on the Sudanese conflict within the next three weeks, as announced by the United States on Tuesday, urging both parties to engage in sincere negotiations towards a ceasefire.
The discussions will take place in the port city of Jeddah and were revealed during a France-backed international conference in Paris on Monday, which raised over two million euros for Sudan.
The northeast African nation has been engulfed in a year-long conflict between the Sudanese army and RSF, resulting in what the United Nations has termed as “one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory.”
Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan, welcomed the decision by Saudi Arabia to resume talks in Jeddah, emphasizing the urgency of achieving peace.
The US State Department echoed the call for both the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to negotiate sincerely towards a ceasefire, emphasizing the importance of swift action to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the African Union, and the IGAD East African trade bloc will collaborate in facilitating the upcoming talks, according to a spokesperson for the State Department.
Despite previous rounds of negotiations supported by the United States and Saudi Arabia, a lasting resolution has remained elusive.
The conflict erupted on April 15 last year between Sudan’s regular army, led by de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by his former ally Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Since then, the violence has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced over 8.5 million people from their homes, underscoring the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
