The United States has invited the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for ceasefire talks mediated by the US, beginning on August 14 in Switzerland, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.
RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo stated early Wednesday that they will participate constructively in the talks to secure “a comprehensive ceasefire nationwide and ensure humanitarian access for all in need.”
“We reaffirm our unwavering position: to save lives, stop the fighting, and pave the way for a peaceful, negotiated political solution that returns the country to civilian rule and a democratic transition,” Dagalo said in a statement.
The talks will include observers from the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations, Blinken mentioned. Saudi Arabia will co-host the discussions, he added.
“The scale of death, suffering, and destruction in Sudan is devastating. This senseless conflict must end,” Blinken stated, urging the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to participate constructively in the talks.
The war in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has displaced nearly 10 million people, led to warnings of famine, and caused waves of ethnically driven violence, primarily attributed to the RSF.
Talks in Jeddah between the army and RSF, sponsored by the United States and Saudi Arabia, collapsed at the end of last year.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday that the aim of the Switzerland talks is to build on the progress made in Jeddah and advance to the next phase.
“We just want to get the parties back to the table. We’ve determined that bringing the parties, the three host nations, and the observers together is our best shot at achieving a nationwide cessation of violence,” Miller said.