Sudan to send team to Jeddah for talks with US officials before next week's cease-fire negotiations

Sudan announced Friday that it will send a delegation to the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah to consult with US officials ahead of next week's cease-fire negotiations with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Geneva, Switzerland.

In a press release, the Sudanese government said Minister of Minerals Mohamed Bashir Abu-Namo will lead the delegation to discuss the situation before talks with the RSF, which are scheduled to take place on Wednesday in Geneva.

The statement emphasized the government's commitment to achieving peace, security, and stability in Sudan while also alleviating the suffering caused by the RSF insurgency.

The US government has not yet responded to the Sudanese government's announcement regarding the meeting in Jeddah.

During a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last Monday, Sudan's Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan emphasized the need to address the government concerns before beginning talks with the RSF.

Recently, the Sudanese government requested a preliminary meeting with the US to facilitate the resumption of peace talks with the RSF.

The government also demanded that the Jeddah Declaration be implemented before participating in the US-mediated cease-fire talks in Switzerland.

On July 23, the US State Department invited both the Sudanese army and the RSF to participate in Washington-mediated cease-fire negotiations, which are scheduled to begin on August 14 in Switzerland.

RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has since accepted the invitation.

Since mid-April 2023, the conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF has resulted in approximately 18,800 deaths and nearly 10 million displaced persons, according to the United Nations.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara