Sudan Peace Talks in Limbo With Army’s Participation Uncertain
(Bloomberg) -- Two days before US-brokered talks aimed at ending Sudan’s civil war are due to get under way, it’s still unclear whether the army will participate, clouding the prospects of a truce being agreed.
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The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces militia have been fighting since April 2023 and the US estimates that about 150,000 people have died. Millions of others have fled their homes and are at risk of starvation, with the United Nations describing the situation as the world’s biggest displacement crisis.
While the US Special Envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello maintained that America will push on with scheduled negotiations in Switzerland even if the army isn’t represented, reaching a cease-fire would be rendered virtually impossible in its absence.
“We have not given up hope,” the diplomat told a press briefing in Geneva on Monday. “The SAF has committed to coming.”
The talks, which are hosted by the Swiss government, could last until as late as Aug. 24, according to Perriello, who declined to disclose the location for security reasons. Officials from the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the UN are expected to join as observers.
The US has made clear that the talks will focus on ending hostilities and weren’t intended to formulate a political solution for the North African country.
“If you include politicians into the negotiations, you can spend hours and hours without getting any closer to ending the violence,” Perriello said. Partitioning the country isn’t on the table, he added.
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