CAIRO (AP) — The United States on Thursday urged warring Sudanese parties to resume ceasefire talks and make a concerted effort to hold a lasting truce after peace efforts once again failed. .
The call from the US State Department came after the Sudanese military on Wednesday suspended its participation in talks, held in Saudi Arabia, with a rival paramilitary force.
Fighting between the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, broke out in mid-April. The violence has killed at least 866 civilians, according to a group of Sudanese doctors, although the toll could be much higher.
The withdrawal of the Sudanese army from the talks is a setback for Washington and Riyadh, which served as mediators between the two parties.
“Once the forces make it clear through their actions that they are serious about upholding the ceasefire, the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stand ready to resume facilitating the suspended talks,” he said. said the State Department.
Washington and Riyadh negotiated a ceasefire on May 21 to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and the restoration of vital services. Seven ceasefires have been declared since the beginning of the conflict and all have been violated.
In a joint statement on Sunday, Riyadh and Washington accused both sides of violating the truce. He said the army continued to carry out airstrikes, while the RSF continued to occupy people’s homes and seize property. Robberies were occurring in areas controlled by both forces, he added.
The nearly seven weeks of fighting have reduced the Sudanese capital of Khartoum to an urban battlefield, with many neighborhoods without electricity or running water. The conflict has also fueled ethnic violence in the western region of Darfur, killing hundreds of people there.