The United States has announced that peace talks aimed at ending Sudan’s 15-month conflict will proceed in Geneva on Wednesday, even if the Sudanese military does not participate.
US Special Envoy Tom Perriello confirmed the continuation of these discussions between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), despite the Sudanese army’s refusal to engage. This comes as the United Nations warns of a potential “catastrophic breaking point” in Sudan due to the ongoing conflict.
The US had previously invited both sides for ceasefire negotiations in Switzerland, but while the RSF has agreed, the military under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan remains defiant, refusing to negotiate. Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reported from Khartoum that the talks will begin as scheduled, even without the army’s participation.
The US envoy clarified that these discussions are meant to initiate the peace process, not necessarily to start ceasefire negotiations. The Sudanese military has set specific conditions for participation, including guarantees that the RSF will implement the Jeddah agreement signed last year.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger expressed hope that these talks would lead to significant humanitarian progress and ease the obstacles to a ceasefire. She described the situation in Sudan as a “humanitarian disaster” and emphasized the need for concrete steps to build trust and remove immediate barriers to peace.
Meanwhile, the United Nations migration agency has issued a dire warning, stating that Sudan is nearing a catastrophic “breaking point.”
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlighted the severe impact of famine, floods, and ongoing conflict on millions of people in Sudan, which is experiencing the world’s largest displacement crisis.
The IOM’s Middle East and North Africa director, Othman Belbeisi, stressed the urgent need for a coordinated global response to prevent tens of thousands of preventable deaths in the coming months.
The war, which began in April 2023, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions, both within Sudan and across its borders. The IOM reports that over 10.7 million people are internally displaced, with many being forced to move multiple times, while 2.3 million have fled to neighboring countries.
