Written By Lisa Murimi
Fresh peace talks aimed at resolving Sudan’s devastating 16-month war commenced in Geneva on Wednesday, despite neither warring side being present.
The U.S. is spearheading the negotiations, determined to address the severe humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The army announced it would boycott the talks, accusing the RSF of failing to adhere to the Jeddah Declaration agreed upon in Saudi Arabia last year.
The RSF, although initially present in Switzerland, also decided against attending the talks.
The army’s chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, insisted that military operations would persist until all RSF forces are withdrawn from civilian areas.
Tom Perriello, the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, expressed hope that the army might still join the talks, emphasizing that negotiations would proceed on other fronts, such as delivering humanitarian aid.
The RSF’s absence from the talks has been a setback, though they have called for the army to participate.
Previous peace efforts in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have failed, and the absence of both sides casts doubt on the success of this round of talks.
The humanitarian situation remains dire, with the UN warning of looming preventable deaths due to the ongoing conflict and restricted aid.
