Sudan's warring parties sign commitment to protect civilians

Sudan's warring sides signed a commitment late Thursday on guidelines for allowing humanitarian assistance, according to the U.S. State Department.

After a week of talks in the Saudi port city of Jeddah, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) signed a "Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan," the office of the spokesperson for the State Department said in a statement.

"The Declaration of Commitment recognizes the obligations of both sides under international humanitarian and human rights law to facilitate humanitarian action to meet the emergency needs of civilians," the statement said.

It said the commitment "will guide the conduct of the two forces to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance, the restoration of essential services, the withdrawal of forces from hospitals and clinics, and the respectful burial of the dead."

"Following the signing, the Jeddah talks will focus on reaching an agreement on an effective cease-fire of up to approximately 10 days to facilitate these activities. The security measures will include a U.S.-Saudi and international-supported cease-fire monitoring mechanism," it added.

The talks in Jeddah will address "proposed arrangements for subsequent talks" on a "permanent cessation of hostilities," it said.

On April 15, fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and the RSF in the capital Khartoum and its surroundings. More than 600 people have been killed and thousands injured.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the Sudanese army and the RSF over the RSF's integration into the armed forces, a key condition of Sudan's transition agreement with political groups.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a "coup."

Sudan's transitional period, which started in August 2019 after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir, had been scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.