Blinken’s Call: Is Sudan climbing the Swiss Mountains under American pressure?

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In what can be considered “last-minute pressure,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is trying to push the Sudanese government towards Switzerland to end the war.

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The U.S. State Department stated that Blinken “spoke with Sudan’s Sovereign Council President and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.”

According to the statement, “Blinken emphasized the need to engage in the ongoing peace talks in Switzerland to achieve the full implementation of the ‘Jeddah Declaration’ regarding the protection of civilians.”

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Blinken conveyed that “the international community has united in support of these negotiations hosted by Switzerland and Saudi Arabia to ensure compliance with the Jeddah Declaration, halt hostilities, facilitate humanitarian aid access, and establish a monitoring mechanism for implementation.”

“Ending the War”

During the call, Blinken highlighted that “these goals reflect the commitments outlined in the Jeddah Declaration, and the aim of the negotiations is to achieve their full implementation.”

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He also stressed the “urgent need for the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to end the war and ensure humanitarian aid reaches the millions of suffering Sudanese.”

In the absence of a Sudanese government delegation, the Swiss talks began on Wednesday and are continuing on Thursday.

Washington announced that the first day resulted in “concrete ideas” on how the warring parties can implement the “Jeddah Declaration.”

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While a delegation from the “Rapid Support Forces” is participating in the Geneva talks, al-Burhan said yesterday, seemingly objecting to the talks, that Sudan “is eager to dialogue with Washington,” but there are “red lines” that cannot be crossed by implementing the outcomes of the Jeddah Platform.

For his part, U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Tom Periello wrote on social media “X” yesterday: “It is time to silence the guns!”

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Reassurance?

In this context, the call seems to be an attempt by Washington to reassure al-Burhan and encourage him to come to the negotiating table in Switzerland, according to observers.

The Sudanese government has not yet released a comment on the talks with Blinken or any indication of a change in its position regarding the Swiss negotiations.

Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army and the “Rapid Support Forces” have been engaged in a war that has resulted in approximately 18,800 deaths and nearly 10 million displaced and refugee persons, according to the United Nations.

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Recently, international and UN calls to end the war have intensified to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe that is pushing millions toward famine and death due to food shortages caused by the fighting.

On Wednesday evening, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Nations, and the African Union issued a joint statement saying they are working to reach an agreement to halt hostilities in Sudan and ensure humanitarian aid reaches those affected.