The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have inked a contract to safeguard civilians caught up in the country’s ongoing conflict as a sign of progress toward achieving a ceasefire, according to some top US officials involved in the continuing talks in Saudi Arabia.
This major breakthrough was made on Thursday, May 11, 2023, after ceasefire talks resumed in Jeddah early last week.
According to officials, talks between the two opposing groups aren’t easy as both parties remain far from committing to a reasonable truce, a situation described as ‘quite far apart.’
This was made clear by a senior State Department official who, in a statement, said, “This is not a ceasefire; this is an affirmation of their obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly with regard to the treatment of civilians and the need to create space for humanitarian aid to operate.”
According to a senior State Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, there is a plan in place to persuade the parties to agree to other demands such as allowing humanitarian aid into the country, restoring essential services such as electricity, food stores, and water, evacuating the dead, and withdrawing occupied forces from schools and hospitals.
Many of the officials at the talks, mainly those from the US, commended Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic participation in the talks, noting that Saudi Arabia’s deliberate involvement was essential in bringing the SAF and RSF to the table.
Another senior US official spoke about the threat of foreign interference in the ongoing crisis in Sudan, where such an external force may “perhaps side with one or the other of the Sudanese forces. “Such action would only inflame the intensity of the conflict and prolong it, so we all need to be on guard about that aspect of the regional problems.”
To reaffirm the progress made thus far in the talks, the Saudi state news agency, known as SPA, later issued a joint statement with the US, announcing that members of the SAF and the RSF signed a declaration pledging to safeguard Sudanese civilians.
“The declaration of commitment recognizes the obligations of both sides, under international humanitarian and human rights law to facilitate humanitarian action to meet the emergency needs of civilians,” the statement read.
“The declaration of commitment will guide the conduct of the two forces to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance, the restoration of essential services, the withdrawal of forces from hospitals and clinics, and the respectful burial of the dead.”
It is expected that the signing of this agreement will open doors for more concessions, including the need to secure a ceasefire, which has remained a top priority for all officials at the talks.
However, as part of the ongoing talks, a proposal for a 10-day truce has been made available, which is aimed at ceasing the moment to effectively push negotiations further and achieve a much-needed end to the crisis in Sudan.
Military confrontation between the two forces—the SAF and the RSF—erupted on April 15, 2023, and has continued despite various attempts at securing a permanent ceasefire.
