Media reports citing anonymous sources, on Saturday (July 15) said that Sudanese army representatives returned to Saudi Arabia’s port city of Jeddah to resume talks with their paramilitary foes Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This comes as the conflict between the two warring sides entered its fourth month.
What do we know about the reported meeting?
“A delegation of the armed forces has returned to Jeddah to resume negotiations with Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rebels,” a source told AFP on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, neither RSF nor the Sudanese army have officially spoken about returning to Saudi Arabia for talks.
The reported meeting comes after previous talks mediated by Saudi Arabia and the United States were suspended last month after numerous ceasefire violations. The talks have also not been confirmed by Washington or Riyadh.
The reports also emerge after Egypt, on Thursday launched its bid to halt fighting between Sudan’s warring factions which began on April 15. The attempt was made during a summit of neighbouring states where leaders of seven nations around Sudan, in a joint statement called on the warring parties to commit to a ceasefire.
The power struggle in Sudan has raised concerns about regional stability as the seven countries also warned of the conflict-torn country’s “descent into chaos that could lead to the spread of terrorism and organised crime.”
Egypt’s move has been welcomed both by the Sudanese army, which has close ties to the country, as well as the RSF. Since the beginning of the conflict, multiple ceasefires have been violated, while both army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo have blamed each other for it.
Situation in Sudan
At least four civilians were killed and four others were injured after a drone attack targeting a hospital in the city of Omdurman, said the Sudanese health ministry, on Saturday. The officials also accused the RSF of carrying out the attack, reported Reuters.
A report by AFP citing residents said that the alleged attack targeted Khartoum’s largest military hospital. Meanwhile, the army reported the deaths of “five patients” and said 22 others were injured, the attack affected “mostly civilians”.
Residents of the Sudanese capital city of Khartoum have not left their homes in months amid constant air strikes, artillery blasts and gun battles, reported AFP. According to data from the United Nations, at least 1.7 million people have fled from the capital.
Additionally, at least three million people have been uprooted and more than 700,000 have fled to neighbouring countries, due to the conflict. The violence has also caused the deaths of over 1000 civilians, according to figures from the UN.
(With inputs from agencies)
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