[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]KHARTOUM: Sudan’s warring factions pledged early Friday to protect civilians and the movement of humanitarian aid, but they did not agree to a ceasefire and remain at odds, according to US officials.
Sudan’s army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) signed a declaration after a week of talks in the Saudi port of Jeddah, saying they would work towards a short-term ceasefire in future talks.
“The two sides are quite far apart,” a senior US State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. A text of the declaration released after the talks said the two factions “commit to prioritizing discussions to achieve a short-term ceasefire to facilitate the delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance and restoration of essential services.”
A US State Department statement said the parties would focus on reaching a deal for an effective ceasefire of up to about 10 days.
Negotiators working with Saudi and US mediators will then discuss specific security measures to protect relief supplies, according to a US official.
According to the State Department, measures “will include a US-Saudi and international-supported ceasefire monitoring mechanism.”
In a tweet, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan stated that the talks and commitment to protect civilians were only the first step, and that “other steps will follow.”
“The most important thing is to adhere to what was agreed upon, and the Kingdom will work until security and stability return to Sudan and its brotherly people,” the Saudi minister said. The army and RSF said in their agreement that they would schedule “subsequent expanded discussions to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities.”
According to the US official, transitioning from a temporary ceasefire to a permanent cessation of hostilities would be a lengthy process.
However, Washington hopes that the willingness of both sides to sign the declaration on Friday will generate momentum. Civilian groups are expected to participate in the talks later, according to the US official.
The coalition of political parties supporting democratic rule, Forces for Freedom and Change, called the declaration “an important first step towards ending the war” and urged the forces to follow it.
Residents heard warplanes circling over Khartoum and its neighbouring cities of Bahri and Omdurman on Thursday, but the fighting appeared calmer than on Wednesday.
In public, neither side has indicated a willingness to make concessions to end the conflict, which erupted unexpectedly last month, threatening to plunge Sudan into civil war, killing hundreds of people and sparking a humanitarian crisis.
Previous ceasefire agreements have been repeatedly broken, leaving civilians to navigate a terrifying landscape of chaos and bombardment, with no power or water, little food, and a collapsing health system.
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