After consultation with Arab, African and other partners, the US said it hopes to announce a new pathway forward in the next few days.
A man walks while smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment, during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 1, 2023. (Reuters)
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been engaged in clashes for several weeks as the two sides fight for government control.
Addressing the Jeddah talks, the senior State Department officials said that US and Saudi efforts to get the SAF and the RSF to halt the fighting, even for a short period, had proved futile until now. After consultation with Arab, African and other partners, they hope to announce a new pathway forward in the next few days.
Shortly after fighting broke out, the US and Saudi Arabia offered to host the warring sides in Jeddah for talks on a cessation of hostilities in a bid to allow the free flow of badly needed humanitarian aid for civilians.
But several fragile ceasefires have been any more than that, with the two sides continuing to violate terms of agreements. This led to the suspension of the Jeddah talks despite Riyadh and Washington expressing their willingness and readiness to resume the negotiations when the SAF and the RSF meet certain conditions.
