The Jeddah initiative is the first sincere effort to put a stop to the conflict that has rendered the Sudanese government helpless
Saudi Arabia and the United States welcomed the beginning of pre-negotiation talks in Jeddah and urged the warring parties in Sudan’s conflict to cooperate in working towards a cease-fire.
They called on both sides to “actively engage in the talks towards a cease-fire and end to the conflict”, according to a joint statement released early on Saturday.
“The United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia urge both parties to take into account the interests of the Sudanese nation and its people and actively engage in talks towards a ceasefire and end to the conflict, which will spare the Sudanese people the suffering and ensure the availability of humanitarian aid to affected areas”, the statement reads.
The United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the League of Arab States, and participants from the Trilateral Mechanism were among the nations and organisations that backed these negotiations, according to Saudi Arabia and the United States.
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, confirmed participation in the Jeddah negotiations in a statement.
He extended his gratitude to Saudi Arabia for serving as the venue for the negotiations between the parties from Sudan. Additionally, he expressed his hope that the negotiations would “reach their intended targets” of ensuring the safety of people and upholding what he described as his unwavering stance on the necessity of establishing a civilian transitional administration in Sudan.
The Sudanese representatives from the Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces are welcome to visit Jeddah and engage in talks, according to Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan. He expressed the hope that it would result in the conflict coming to an end and the restoration of security and stability.
“This dialogue comes as a result of international collaboration and vigorous efforts by the Kingdom with the United States of America, in partnership with the Quad countries and partners from the Trilateral Mechanism,” the statement continued.
The Forces of Freedom and Change in Sudan, a political organisation in charge of an internationally supported plan to transition to civilian administration, also praised the Saturday talks in Jeddah.
The Jeddah initiative is the first sincere effort to put a stop to the conflict that has rendered the Sudanese government helpless and jeopardised the nation’s political transition after years of upheaval and uprisings.
Following the failure of an internationally backed plan for a new transition involving civilian parties, the fight between Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan’s army and the RSF of commander Dagalo, a former militia leader known as Hemedti, broke out on April 15.
The fighting has not decreased despite numerous calls for a cease-fire.
Nevertheless, according to Sudanese media, there was no gunfire exchange in or around Khartoum in the early hours of Saturday.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked on a strategy for the warring parties to defuse tensions on Friday, according to the kingdom.
An urgent UN Human Rights Council meeting on the Sudan issue is expected to be requested by a group of nations led by Britain, the United States, Germany, and Norway next week, according to a document released on Friday.
