Negotiations on peace in Sudan have started in Switzerland
Behind closed doors at an undisclosed location in Switzerland, 10 days of peace talks began under the auspices of the United States without the participation of the Sudanese government. Representatives of Saudi Arabia, USA, Switzerland, UAE, Egypt, African Union and UN are participating in the negotiations.
Behind closed doors at an undisclosed location in Switzerland, negotiations on peace in the country began under the auspices of the United States without the participation of the Sudanese government. The talks are being led by Tom Perriello, the US special representative for Sudan, who said after opening the session that "it's time to put the weapons down."
The talks, which could last up to 10 days, are being held behind closed doors at an undisclosed location in Switzerland. Representatives of Saudi Arabia, the United States, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, the African Union and the United Nations issued a joint statement on the first day of the talks. The statement noted that diplomatic efforts are aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Sudan and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid. The document also noted that these efforts "are consistent with the results of previous talks in Jeddah, other efforts and international humanitarian law."
While the Rapid Support Force (RSF) delegation is participating in the talks, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are unhappy with the format set up by Washington.
"Our goal is to move forward to end hostilities, improve access to humanitarian aid, and establish enforcement mechanisms that deliver concrete results," Perriello said.
Since April 2023, there has been a war between the Sudanese army under the command of General Abdulfattah Al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) under the command of his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The brutal conflict has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
As a result of the fighting, one in five people in the country was forced to leave their homes, and tens of thousands of people died. Across the country, more than 25 million people - more than half of the population - face acute hunger.
Vittorio Oppizzi, head of the Sudan program of the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), said that both sides are manipulating humanitarian aid in violation of international law.
