Sudan’s pro-army Umma Party has condemned General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) for deciding not to participate in the U.S.-Saudi-led peace talks scheduled in Geneva, labeling the move a “significant diplomatic failure” that could threaten efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in the country.
The Umma Party, led by Mubarak al-Mahdi, has been a prominent supporter of the SAF since the outbreak of fighting in April of the previous year.
Last month, the United States announced it would facilitate negotiations between the SAF and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Switzerland, aiming to secure a ceasefire and humanitarian access—key steps toward ending Sudan’s devastating civil war.
However, Sudan’s acting information minister, Graham Abdelqader, revealed on Friday that the SAF-led regime would not engage in the Geneva talks.
This decision followed the collapse of preliminary discussions between U.S. mediators and a Sudanese delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Abdelqader attributed the decision to disagreements over the inclusion of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as an observer—a condition the government opposes.
He also accused the U.S. of failing to ensure the RSF’s commitment to the Jeddah Agreement, a framework that has yet to be implemented by either side.
In response, Ibrahim Shalaih Hibani, head of the Umma Party’s Political Bureau, argued that the UAE’s presence was vital for the success of the Geneva negotiations.
Hibani contended that the UAE’s influence over the RSF justified its involvement.
He noted that both the army-controlled government and military had previously engaged with the UAE in secret talks in Bahrain and Oman.
“The Umma Party believes that the UAE’s presence as an observer is essential for the success of the talks and the effective implementation of the Jeddah Agreement,” Hibani stated.
The Umma Party also accused the SAF of underestimating the significance of the Geneva talks, which involve key international actors such as the United Nations, the African Union, and Egypt.
Rejecting claims by Sudan’s army-run government that the U.S. failed to justify the shift of peace talks from Jeddah to Geneva, the Umma Party argued that Geneva represents a natural escalation of the international community’s engagement, prompted by the war’s expansion and the resulting humanitarian crisis.
They highlighted the severe impact on civilians, including displacement and food shortages, as evidence of the need for a higher level of international intervention.
“The transition from Jeddah to Geneva reflects the growing international concern over the Sudanese conflict and its dire humanitarian consequences, following the war’s expansion,” the statement concluded.
Over the past 16 months, more than 18,800 people have been killed and at least 33,000 injured in Sudan, according to figures from the UN, which recently warned that the country is at a “cataclysmic breaking point.”
