Talks on ceasefire in Sudan even without army
Published: Monday, Aug 12th 2024, 16:40
العودة إلى البث المباشر
The planned talks on a ceasefire in Sudan will start this week - even if one or both parties to the conflict are not involved at first. This was stated by the US Special Representative for Sudan, Tom Perriello, in Geneva.
The aim was to bring more humanitarian aid to the people. Political talks on the future of Sudan are not planned.
The USA has invited both parties to the conflict to Switzerland for the talks. Where exactly they will begin on Wednesday remains secret for security reasons.
Millions on the run
A power struggle between the army and paramilitary militias has been raging in the African country, which lies south of Egypt, since April 2023. Millions of people are on the run within the country itself and have fled across the borders to neighboring countries.
According to experts, famine is already raging in a refugee camp in the North Darfur region, where hundreds of thousands have sought refuge. The United Nations is talking about the world's biggest refugee crisis and a humanitarian catastrophe.
25 million threatened by hunger
Many regions of the country are currently inaccessible to humanitarian aid workers due to the fighting. In some places, hundreds of thousands of civilians are surrounded by fighters. According to the United Nations, more than 25 million people are threatened by hunger.
The power struggle stems from the rivalry between the commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The generals had seized power together and later fell out over power-sharing. Daglo commands the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. Both sides are accused of serious human rights violations.
The RSF have confirmed their participation, the SAF have not, said Perriello.
©كيستون/إسدا
Arabic 
English 
German 
French 
Spanish