“Sudan War: Delegates Meet for Exploratory Talks in Jeddah”

Delegates from the warring parties in Sudan have met in the Saudi city of Jeddah for exploratory talks. It is known to be the first serious attempt at negotiations since fighting in Sudan broke out three weeks ago.

The Saudi foreign minister confirmed earlier today that the government army and RSF paramilitary militia have sent a delegation to the port city of Jeddah. The talks are a joint initiative between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Those two countries called on the warring parties to enter into a dialogue that “hopefully leads to the end of the conflict”. The Saudi foreign minister said on Twitter that he hopes the talks will lead to “security and stability”.

Both parties are reluctant. For example, the RSF stated that the talks in Jeddah only aim at a ceasefire, so that civilians can leave the areas where fighting is taking place. A special envoy of the government army, in turn, said that he did not want to negotiate directly with the paramilitaries. Analysts therefore doubt whether compromises will be reached in the near future.

Months of rising tensions in the East African country came to a head three weeks ago. A bloody battle has been raging in Khartoum in particular since then. Tens of thousands of residents fled the capital and at least 500 civilians were killed in the violence. In recent weeks, ceasefires and ceasefires have been agreed on several occasions, but violence has flared up again and again.