Rival factions in Sudan agree to protect civilians: US official
The two sides agree to allow humanitarian aid to conflict-ravaged Sudan, but struggle to negotiate a ceasefire.
Sudan’s warring factions have committed to protecting civilians and ensuring the movement of humanitarian aid, according to US officials, but a ceasefire remains elusive.
After a week of talks in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah, the Sudanese army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) signed a statement on Friday that they would work towards a near-term ceasefire in further talks, US sources said. to Reuters news agency. .
“The two sides are quite far apart,” explained a senior US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Negotiators working with Saudi and US mediators have set a goal of reaching a ceasefire within 10 days, the official said.
Halfaya, an entry point to the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, was rocked by clashes on Thursday. Residents reported hearing fighter jets circling over Khartoum, Khartoum North and the adjoining town of Omdurman, but the fighting seemed calmer than on Wednesday.
Neither side has publicly shown its willingness to make concessions to end the conflict that suddenly erupted last month. The fighting threatens to plunge Sudan into civil war, killing hundreds and sparking a humanitarian crisis.
Previous ceasefire agreements have been repeatedly violated, forcing civilians to navigate a terrifying landscape of chaos and bombing with failing power and water, little food and a collapsing health system.
The senior US State Department official said the statement signed early Friday aims to improve the flow of humanitarian aid and begin restoration of water and electricity services.
Mediators hope it will be possible “to ensure that security forces are withdrawn from hospitals and clinics and that the dead are buried with respect,” the official said.
The World Health Organization said more than 600 people have been killed and more than 5,000 injured in the fighting. The Sudanese health ministry said at least 450 people were killed in the western Darfur region.
Many have fled Khartoum and Darfur, leaving 700,000 internally displaced and 150,000 refugees entering neighboring countries, according to United Nations figures.
Cameron Hudson of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington said it would be challenging to implement a deal.
“They’re stuck in this fight to the end, and they’ll sign a piece of paper and Washington will celebrate a big victory, but I don’t think it’s going to change the dynamics of the conflict,” Hudson said.
Western countries condemned the abuses by both sides at a human rights rally in Geneva, but the Sudanese envoy there said the conflict was “an internal matter”.