Sudanese Peace Talks in Geneva Falter Amidst Army's Withdrawal and Humanitarian Crisis

A report by Toni Mrad, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

In an effort to end the war that has been ongoing in Sudan since 2023 and to facilitate the urgent delivery of aid, peace talks were called between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces in Geneva.

The talks were to be hosted by the United States and Saudi Arabia, with observers from the African Union, Egypt, the UAE, and the United Nations.

The negotiations were expected to last several days behind closed doors, but they stumbled before they even began, with the Sudanese Army announcing its refusal to participate despite US calls for engagement. The primary reason cited was the army's objection to the participation of the UAE, which it views as a supporter of the Rapid Support Forces.

While Washington believes that including Abu Dhabi and Cairo is crucial for ensuring any agreement between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces, the army presents another reason for its absence from the talks: doubts about the effectiveness of any negotiations, given the failure to implement the Jeddah Agreement from last year. This agreement stipulated that both warring parties must refrain from any military actions that could harm civilians.

The US side responds to this hesitation by emphasizing that the Geneva talks are a continuation of the Jeddah discussions.

A third reason given by the Sudanese Army for not participating in the Geneva talks is what Sudanese Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan mentioned: the path to peace or a ceasefire begins with the withdrawal of the Rapid Support Forces from Sudanese cities.

Nevertheless, the US side insists on moving forward with the talks. However, some observers suggest that these negotiations will shift from mediating a ceasefire between the warring parties to focusing on how to resume negotiations between the sides in the near future and discussing ways to improve the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country.

Sudan is facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with approximately 25 million citizens at risk of famine.