Washington Invites Warring Parties in Sudan to Talks in Switzerland and Actors Meeting in Djibouti

Moatinoon
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the United States has invited the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to participate in U.S.-mediated ceasefire talks starting on August 14 in Switzerland.

In a press statement today, Blinken said that the talks in Switzerland build on previous negotiations in Jeddah and will include participation from Saudi Arabia, the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations as observers.

The U.S. Secretary of State highlighted that the talks aim to achieve a nationwide cessation of violence, enable humanitarian aid access to all those in need, and develop a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure the implementation of any agreement. He emphasized that the talks are not intended to address broader political issues, stating, "Civilians must play the leading role in determining the process for addressing political issues and restoring democratic transition in Sudan."

In a related context, Djibouti will host meetings of international and regional actors on Sudan from July 24-26. The first of these is the second consultative meeting to enhance the coordination of peace initiatives and efforts in Sudan on Wednesday, July 24. The second is a meeting of mediators to plan the strengthening of peace efforts in Sudan on July 25-26.