The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the release of 64 Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) detainees held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The released detainees were transferred from Khartoum to Wad Madani following a request by both conflicting parties for the ICRC to act as a neutral intermediary.
“The ICRC’s main goal is to guarantee that any release operation serves the best interests of the detainees, such as facilitating their reunion with their families,” said Pierre Dorbes, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Sudan. “We are prepared to act as a neutral intermediary for the release of more detainees.”
The ICRC stated that it does not negotiate or influence the decision on who is released or when the release takes place, nor does it disclose the identity of the detainees.
Since the beginning of the fighting in Sudan on 15 April, the ICRC contributed to the release and transfer of 292 detainees.
The Sudanese army and the RSF resumed negotiations this week in Jeddah, mediated by Saudi Arabia and the United States, after its cessation since late last May. There are expectations that they will reach an agreement for a ceasefire.