US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Swiss negotiations aim to stop violence

Switzerland hosts US-mediated ceasefire talks in Sudan

Great doubts about the participation of the Sudanese army.. and the location of the talks is secret for security reasons

Sudan

Geneva - AFP

Talks on a ceasefire in Sudan are scheduled to begin on Wednesday in Switzerland, mediated by the United States, which is determined to move forward even if the Sudanese army does not participate.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been mired in a war between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, which has put the country on the brink of famine.

At the end of July, Washington invited the two warring parties to a new round of negotiations scheduled to begin on Wednesday to try to end the devastating war that has been going on for nearly 16 months.

US Special Envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello said that "the Rapid Support Forces have announced their unconditional agreement to participate."

But the Sudanese authorities, whose army chief is the de facto ruler, have expressed reservations about the US call for negotiations in Geneva, indicating that they will not participate.

The Sudanese authorities are skeptical about the feasibility of finding a platform for talks other than the one adopted in Jeddah, but Perriello stressed that "these talks are an extension" of the latter.

The US envoy indicated that the talks "will go forward" with or without Khartoum's participation, but he noted that if government representatives do not attend, "it will be impossible to conduct formal mediation" and "our focus will be on practical issues."

Major internal divisions

From July 11 to 19, an initial round of talks was held in Geneva between the warring parties in Sudan, mediated by the UN envoy and Algerian diplomat Ramtane Lamamra, focusing on humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians.

But when he announced the new round of talks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that they "aim to achieve a cessation of violence across the country, allow humanitarian access to all those in need, and establish a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure implementation of any agreement."

Blinken noted that the talks will not "address broader political issues."

Alan Boswell, the Horn of Africa director at the International Crisis Group, considered that "resuming the talks would constitute progress, given that no formal negotiations have taken place since last year."

Boswell told AFP that the participation of the army is unlikely because Burhan's camp "faces major internal divisions" on this issue.

He considered that if the army representatives do not participate, diplomats will have to adjust their goals, noting in return that Burhan "will face increasing external pressure if he is seen as the main obstacle to ending the war."

The round of talks, which will be held in Switzerland at a location that has not been specified for security reasons, is expected to last 10 days at most.

The talks come as the UN's International Organization for Migration has warned that the country is at a catastrophic "breaking point" and is facing multiple crises that threaten the lives of tens of thousands.

The war has pushed the country to the brink of famine, according to the United Nations, and has killed tens of thousands.