Resumption of Jeddah Talks by Warring Parties in Sudan

According to Sudanese political sources, both sides had reached out privately for the latest talks. Oct. 31, 2023 (Photo: X/@ADFmagazine)

The warring sides in Sudan's conflict, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), began the "Jeddah Talks" on Thursday. The talks are being led by Saudi and U.S. officials. The two countries helped broker brief cease-fire agreements in May.

The Jeddah talks began under American-Saudi auspices and with the participation of the African Union and IGAD after a break that lasted more than 4 months between SAF and RSF to discuss: a ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid, and confidence-building measures in order to establish a basis for a negotiated solution. These talks do not include political issues.

The negotiations also coincided with the holding of the Civil Front meeting in Addis Ababa, with the restricted participation of the Forces for Freedom and Change, the parties to the Framework Agreement and Dr. Abdullah Hamdok, representatives of the resistance committees (4 committees in the capital out of the 113 that signed the Revolutionary Charter, according to the statement of its official spokesman), public figures and movements that signed the Juba Agreement.

After six long months, analysts say the fighting, which has now drawn in other militias and armed tribal groups, is at a stalemate. According to Sudanese political sources, both sides had reached out privately for the latest talks.

Although RSF appeared to have the upper hand in Khartoum at the beginning of the war, it is now unclear which side has conquered more territory, according to Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum.

From its part, the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) also welcomed the resumption of talks in Jeddah.

In a press release, the Mission said that it hoped “this new round of negotiations results in the implementation of the Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan, signed on May 11, 2023, and in a comprehensive ceasefire, all of which are two crucial factors in alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people.”

The mission also welcomed current initiatives from a wide range of civilian actors calling for an end to the war, emphasizing the urgent need for a solution that would lead to a resumption of the democratic political transition.