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Representatives of the Sudanese Army and FAR paramilitaries are expected to hold talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah, at the initiative of the Riyadh and Washington governments. It is the first time that the parties will try to seek a true ceasefire, in addition to humanitarian corridors for civilians, although the UN has been moderate in terms of the results and witnesses claim to have witnessed more attacks throughout this May 6 .
The two generals in conflict in Sudan sent their respective delegates to Saudi Arabia to start serious talks aimed at consolidating a stable truce, after three weeks of clashes and instability, and more than 430,000 internally and externally displaced persons.
These negotiations are expected to be the first between the parties – between the Sudanese Army, led by General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Paramilitary Forces, commanded by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo – since the violence broke out, the past April 15.
According to the three delegates – two senior military commanders and one from their paramilitary rival – the talks will take place in the coastal city of Jeddah (on the Red Sea) and will try to address the opening of humanitarian corridors in Khartoum and the adjacent city of Omdurman, which have been main scenes of the battles.
Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as ‘Hemedti’, said in a previous statement that he hopes the talks “achieve the expected objectives” of safe passage for civilians.
Disputes over control of Sudan have led to a crisis of migrants and displaced persons, who have moved within the African nation, or have crossed borders into neighboring countries such as Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Ethiopia, according to UN agencies.
Transatlantic diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire
This first rapprochement materialized thanks to the diplomatic efforts of Riyadh, but also of Washington, in addition to other international powers, to put pressure on the opposing Sudanese factions.
Today @POTUS issued an Executive Order to respond to the violence in Sudan by authorizing sanctions. We’re committed to bringing an end to the conflict, promoting accountability for those who threaten Sudan’s security and stability, and supporting its democratic aspirations.
—Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 4, 2023
Following the evacuations of foreign citizens – including more than a thousand Europeans – leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz or the High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, called for a ceasefire and to seek a mediation through Saudi Arabia.
For his part, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, contacted the Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, by telephone to “express his support for the talks”, at the same time that he expressed his “gratitude for the invaluable assistance from Saudi Arabia to facilitate the safe arrival in Jeddah of US citizens and their families leaving Sudan”.
The UN envoy in Sudan, Volker Perthes, called the move a “positive sign”, although he tempered the high expectations of the meeting.
Sudan, a history of uprisings and violence
The FAR group was created by former Islamist president Omar al-Bashir. This group resulted in the Yanyawid militias, perpetrators of mass rapes and massacres during the Darfur conflict in western Sudan.
In April 2019, after the overthrow and arrest of Al-Bashir, this group mutated into a regular military force. Currently, the FAR is led by ‘Hemedti’, who after another coup in 2021 is number two in the Sovereign Council and the Army.
On the other side of the clashes, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is the head of the Army and precedes the council that has governed Sudan since 2019.
Sudanese history was altered when Omar al-Bashir led a coup in 1989 and established a dictatorial regime with Islamist ideology. The military government, for its part, banned political parties and the Army became the center of Sudanese power.
The center of tensions between the Sudanese Army and the FAR dates back to 2019. At that time, the paramilitary group was accused of killing hundreds of protesters.
With AP and EFE
