Despite the ceasefire being broken again, UN Special Envoy Volker Perthes sees a glimmer of hope for an end to the fighting in Sudan. The two rival military groups are now more open to negotiations, the United Nations envoy told Reuters today.
In addition, the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF militia have accepted that the fighting that broke out two weeks ago cannot continue.
Both sides had nominated representatives for the talks, for which Juba in neighboring South Sudan and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia had been suggested as venues. A timetable for the talks has not yet been set. A practical question is also whether the emissaries could actually get there for a meeting.
Jeddah Place for “military-technical” talks
Jeddah has been offered as a site for “military-technical” talks, while Juba has been named as part of a regional proposal by East African states for political talks, Perthes said. The immediate task, however, is to develop a monitoring mechanism for a ceasefire, since ceasefires that have already been agreed several times have not held.
The ceasefire, which was extended by three days on Thursday, was not complied with today either. Airstrikes, anti-aircraft weapons and artillery could be heard in Khartoum in the morning. Dark smoke rose over parts of the capital. The situation for the population continues to worsen. Many people barely have access to food, fuel, water and electricity.
The fighting broke out on April 15 as part of a power struggle between the army and the RSF militia. Since then, more than 500 people have been killed. Even before the fighting, about a third of the 46 million Sudanese were in need of help.
