Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday the beginning of talks between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the city of Jeddah.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry stated: “The mediators (Saudi Arabia, the United States, IGAD, and the African Union) have declared the beginning of talks between the Sudanese armed forces and the RSF in the city of Jeddah.”
The statement specified that “the talks will focus on facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, achieving a ceasefire, confidence-building measures, and the possibility of reaching a permanent cessation of hostilities.”
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that “the talks will not address issues of a political nature.”
Each delegation of the warring parties comprises six members, including a four-member negotiation team and two experts.
Previous negotiations between the army and the RSF in Jeddah in May resulted in the first agreement named the “Jeddah Declaration,” which included immediate humanitarian commitments and governing conditions.
In June, Saudi Arabia and the United States, in a joint statement, suspended the Jeddah talks between the conflicting parties in Sudan due to “serious and repeated violations” of the ceasefire.
The two countries accused the conflict parties of “claiming to represent the interests of the Sudanese people, but their actions increased their suffering and posed a danger to national unity and regional stability,” according to the statement at that time.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and RSF began on April 15 due to tensions related to a proposed transition to civilian rule. After approximately six months of fighting, the United Nations estimates that around 9,000 people have lost their lives, and an additional 5.6 million individuals have fled their homes.