Sudan’s army-controlled government announced on Friday that it will dispatch a delegation to the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah for consultations with U.S. officials ahead of next week’s cease-fire negotiations with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Geneva, Switzerland.
The delegation, led by Sudan’s Minister of Minerals, Mohamed Bashir Abu-Namo, will engage in discussions to prepare for the talks with the RSF, which are scheduled to begin on Wednesday in Geneva.
The Sudanese government’s statement highlighted its commitment to achieving peace, security, and stability in the country.
As of now, the U.S. government has not publicly responded to Sudan’s announcement about the Jeddah meeting.
During a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last Monday, Sudanese General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan underscored the importance of addressing the government’s concerns before starting negotiations with the RSF.
Recently, al-Burhan’s government requested a preliminary meeting with U.S. officials to help facilitate the resumption of peace talks with the RSF.
On July 23, the U.S. State Department invited both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF to participate in Washington-mediated cease-fire negotiations, set to begin on August 14 in Switzerland.
RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has since accepted the invitation.
Since mid-April 2023, the ongoing conflict between General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and the RSF has led to approximately 18,800 deaths and displaced nearly 10 million people, according to the United Nations.