2023-05-31 11:13:37
The Sudanese army spokesman, Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah, announced, on Wednesday, the suspension of the army’s participation in the talks with the Rapid Support Forces in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
This development is a blow to mediation efforts between the two sides, whose conflict has plunged Sudan into chaos.
The spokesman said that this step comes as a protest once morest the RSF’s repeated violations of the ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, including its continued occupation of hospitals and other civilian infrastructure in the capital, Khartoum.
Abdullah added that the army wanted to ensure full implementation of the terms of the truce before discussing further steps, without going into details.
So far, seven ceasefire agreements have been declared, all of which have been violated.
Support is committed to conversations
In response to the army’s statement, the Rapid Support Forces announced their “unconditional support for the initiative of Saudi Arabia and the United States.”
Two other military officials said that the army sent a message to the Saudi and American mediators explaining in detail what they described as violations of the Rapid Support Forces, stressing that the army delegation is still at the talks headquarters in Jeddah.
The move by the army came two days following the two sides agreed to extend the fragile ceasefire for more than five days.
Washington and Riyadh, in a joint statement issued on Sunday, called on both warring sides to stop violating the week-long truce instead of issuing another public call to respect the agreements.
The joint statement stated that the army continued to launch air strikes, at a time when the Rapid Support Forces continued to occupy citizens’ homes and seize property, indicating the theft of fuel, money, aid supplies, and vehicles belonging to a humanitarian convoy, amid the spread of theft in all areas controlled by the army or support forces. rapid.
One of the officials said the decision was the result of mediators’ efforts to move to the next phase of negotiations without “fully implementing the terms” of the humanitarian ceasefire.
He explained that this stage includes a long-term ceasefire and entering into negotiations to settle the differences between the two sides.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
1685534256
#Sudanese #army #suspends #participation #Jeddah #talks #Rapid #Support #Forces