The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on late Thursday night released a statement regarding their talks in the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah aimed at restoring peace to Sudan.
The latest round of Jeddah talks seeks to achieve a temporary cessation, if not a complete end, to the fighting that erupted in April, as RSF and army competed for power.
The fighting has displaced over 3.5 million people, leading to one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
The army’s delegation left the talks after claiming RSF was “evacuating civilian homes in the capital and public facilities, hospitals and roads” and said these had led to a lack of agreement on a ceasefire.
In a response, the RSF said “5+5 Committe visited hospitals, water, and electricity plants within RSF-controlled areas and compiled a joint report, which was presented to the facilitators. The report confirmed the absence of any military presence by the RSF in these facilities.”
“These false claims are used as a pretext to justify civilian casualties caused by airstrikes and heavy weaponry,” RSF said.
It blamed the breakdown in talks on demands from the army which included “lifting of the siege imposed on their leaders, the provision of safe exit corridors, and the delivery of supplies to their command centers.”
RSF said its delegation “unequivocally rejected” these demands and that, “these conditions will not be met unless a comprehensive agreement is signed to resolve the Sudanese crisis.”
The RSF also disputed the army’s statement that the talks had been “indirect,” saying the two delegations had sat down in person.
The group added that its delegation is “still in Jeddah, respecting the Sudanese people’s rejection of war escalation,” and that the army and its backers “can not win through haste and savagery what they lost on the battlefields.”
“We promised and will certainly send them to the dustbin of history,” RSF statement read.
Despite displaying a willingness to engage in mediation efforts led by regional and international actors, the two warring sides have yet to achieve a lasting ceasefire.
This month, the two sides resumed talks in Jeddah, with facilitation from Saudi Arabia and the United States.