Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the United Nations have successfully concluded a series of direct bilateral talks in Geneva, Switzerland. The RSF made the announcement on the social media platform X on Friday, highlighting the positive and constructive nature of the discussions with Ramtane Lamamra, the Personal Envoy for Sudan of the UN Secretary-General.
The Geneva talks, held from July 11 to July 19, initially faced a setback when General al-Burhan boycotted the event. The RSF delegation arrived in Geneva on July 11th as scheduled, while al-Burhan’s absence drew backlash from the public, activists, and NGOs. This pressure led General al-Burhan to hastily send a delegation to participate in the talks.
Lamamra’s team conducted approximately 20 sessions with the delegations from both parties. “The discussions held in Geneva are an encouraging initial step in a longer and complex process,” Lamamra stated.
The talks focused on crucial issues such as the distribution of humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians across Sudan. Lamamra expressed optimism about the willingness of the parties to engage on these critical matters and noted commitments made to address specific requests, though details were not provided.
According to the RSF, the talks significantly enhanced joint cooperation efforts, with the primary aim of benefiting the people of Sudan. At the conclusion of the discussions, Lamamra received an official letter addressed to the UN Secretary-General from RSF Commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The letter outlined the RSF’s commitments, including the facilitation of humanitarian aid deliveries in coordination with the Sudanese Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations and the strengthening of civilian protection measures.
Additionally, it addressed several urgent demands from the UN and the UN Security Council.
These successful talks mark a promising step forward in addressing Sudan’s ongoing challenges and improving the situation for its people.