Saudi Arabia, US say Sudan warring sides to start talks in Jeddah

Saudi Arabia and the US confirmed direct talks between the warring Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces would start in Jeddah on Saturday.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States welcome the start of pre-negotiation talks between representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Jeddah on May 6, 2023,” a joint US-Saudi statement released on state news agency SPA said.

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“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States urge both parties to take in consideration the interests of the Sudanese nation and its people and actively engage in the talks towards a ceasefire and end to the conflict, which will spare the Sudanese people the suffering and assure the availability of humanitarian aid to affected areas.”

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States also would like to stress the efforts of the countries and organizations that supported these talks, including the Quad countries (The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States) , the League of Arab States, and partners from the Trilateral Mechanism (UNITAMS, AU, IGAD).”

“Finally, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States urge continued, coordinated international support for an expanded negotiation process that should include engagement all Sudanese parties.”

The Jeddah initiative is the first serious attempt to end the fighting that has crippled the Sudanese government and endangered the country’s political transition following years of unrest and uprisings.

The conflict erupted on April 15 between the army of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF of commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, a former militia leader known as Hemedti, following the collapse of an internationally-backed plan for a new transition with civilian parties.

Western powers, including the United States, have backed the plan for a new transition and a civilian government.

The development came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Friday to discuss joint efforts to mediate a permanent ceasefire in Sudan.

The two officials reviewed their efforts to host the fighting Sudanese sides for talks in Jeddah to create an environment for dialogue.

The Sudanese army said late Friday that it had sent envoys to Saudi Arabia to discuss “details of the truce in the process of being extended” with its paramilitary foes.

Regular army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had given his backing to a seven-day ceasefire announced by South Sudan on Wednesday, but early on Friday the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said they were extending by three days a previous truce brokered under US-Saudi mediation.

Multiple truces have been agreed since the fighting between the rival security forces erupted on April 15, but none has been respected.

However regional broadcasters said there was no exchange of gunfire in and around Khartoum in the early hours of Saturday.

To date, the conflict has killed hundreds of people and sent tens of thousands of refugees fleeing abroad.

With agencies

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