Saudi Arabia Hosts New Negotiations to End War in Sudan
25 civilians killed in Darfur in clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host new negotiations in the next three weeks to end the war in Sudan, now entering its second year, according to the US State Department on Tuesday, as fighting escalates between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces with concerns about regional and international interventions in the conflict.
A spokesperson for the US State Department explained that the announcement of the resumption of these negotiations was made in Paris on Monday, on the sidelines of an international conference that raised over two billion dollars for Sudan, which has been devastated by ongoing war between Army Commander Abdul Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
US Special Envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello tweeted, “Facing a critical situation, we welcome Saudi Arabia’s decision to resume Jeddah negotiations in the next three weeks.”
The spokesperson mentioned that representatives from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) are “partners to facilitate the negotiations.” The United States and Saudi Arabia have previously sponsored several negotiation rounds in Jeddah without any result.
The conflict in Sudan erupted in April 2023, according to the United Nations, resulting in thousands of deaths and displacing over 8.5 million people, in addition to significant infrastructure damage.
On Tuesday, a Sudanese human rights organization reported that 25 civilians were killed in armed clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, where many displaced people sought refuge after remaining largely unaffected by the ongoing war between the two parties since last year.
“Emergency Lawyers,” a pro-democracy human rights organization, said in a statement, “25 people were killed and 100 injured in clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in the western neighborhoods of El Fasher in the past two days.”
A medical source at El Fasher South Hospital said on Tuesday, “Dozens of civilian injuries were admitted to the hospital due to Monday’s clashes.” The source added, requesting anonymity, “We suffer from shortages in blood and staff.”
Eyewitnesses reported that the clashes forced hundreds of displaced people to flee from Abu Shouk camp to the nearby city of El Fasher after the fighting reached the heart of the camp.
Currently, the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemeti,” control four out of the five capitals of Darfur states, except El Fasher, which hosts armed rebel groups that had pledged until recently to maintain a distance from both sides of the war, sparing them from conflict.
However, this stance changed last week with rebel groups announcing their decision to engage in fighting against the Rapid Support Forces due to “provocations and violations” allegedly committed by these forces in El Fasher.
North Darfur state has witnessed clashes on two fronts in recent days: between the Rapid Support Forces and armed movements west of El Fasher and in the town of Mellit, located north of it, 100 kilometers away, and between the Rapid Support Forces and the army in El Fasher itself.
The clashes in El Fasher have heightened international concern about the fate of the city, which has been a major distribution center for relief and aid.
Within one year, the war in Sudan has led to thousands of deaths, including up to 15,000 people in Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, according to UN experts.
