The State Department announced that a senior US diplomat will be traveling to Addis Ababa on Monday and Tuesday. During the visit, meetings with African leaders and Sudanese civilians to explore strategies for resolving the conflict in Sudan will be discussed.
Despite diplomatic efforts to cease the hostilities between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), progress has been lacking. Competing initiatives have led to confusion regarding the negotiation process for bringing the warring parties to the table.
The conflict that broke out on April 15 in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, has resulted in over 2.9 million individuals being displaced from their homes. Among them, nearly 700,000 have sought refuge in neighboring countries, exacerbating the existing challenges of poverty and internal conflicts in those regions.
“We call on the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to immediately end the fighting and return to the barracks; adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law; and allow unhindered humanitarian access to meet the emergency needs of civilians,” the State Department said in a statement.
Residents reported clashes between the army and the RSF on Sunday in El Obeid, located southwest of Khartoum, as well as in the southern region of the capital. Egypt has announced its intention to host a summit on July 13, bringing together Sudan’s neighboring countries to explore solutions for resolving the conflict between the rival military factions in Sudan.
Last month, talks held in Jeddah and facilitated by the United States and Saudi Arabia were halted, while an East African mediation effort faced criticism from the army, which accused Kenya of displaying bias.