Army rules out negotiations in conflict-torn African nation

Sudanese forces won’t hold talks with militants, a deputy commander has stated

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) will not negotiate with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to end the civil war in the country, the assistant commander-in-chief, Lieutenant General Yasser al-Atta, insisted on Tuesday.   

Addressing officers and soldiers of the Engineering Corps in Omdurman during a promotion ceremony, al-Atta emphasized that there would be “no talks or ceasefire, even if the conflict lasted a hundred years.”  

Clashes between the SAF and the paramilitary RSF erupted in mid-April 2023. Since then, an estimated 10 million people have been internally displaced and around 17,000 killed.    

Al-Atta argued that any negotiation with the RSF would only prolong the conflict and exacerbate political, military, and security challenges, obstructing Sudan’s path to progress. 

“We stand by the will and decision of the Sudanese people, whose interest lies in the elimination of the RSF,” he said.

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Indirect UN-sponsored talks were held on July 11 in Switzerland between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, and centered on the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country.  

According to a UN spokesperson, Sudan’s warring parties convened in Geneva to discuss “potential local ceasefires” aimed at facilitating humanitarian aid and safeguarding civilians. 

Talks between the army and the RSF held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the end of last year, and sponsored by the US and Saudi Arabia, ended with no result. The Egyptian government organized a conference in Cairo on July 6 with the goal of uniting Sudanese political forces. The talks resulted in the creation of a committee to continue discussions and “work towards lasting peace.” 

On July 3, the UN reported that more than 136,000 people have fled the state of Sennar after the paramilitary RSF launched a series of assaults in the region. Social media images showed people of all ages streaming into the state of Blue Nile in a desperate bid to escape the clashes.  

According to the UN, about 25 million people in Sudan, including over 14 million children, are facing hunger and desperately need aid.