Sudan: fighting continues ahead of 'pre-negotiation' talks in Saudi Arabia
Smoke rises in Khartoum during fighting between the forces of two rival generals in Sudan, May 6, 2023. AFP--
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Pre-negotiation discussions must begin in Jeddah about the conflict in Sudan. The meeting will take place, according to Saudi Arabia, in the presence of "representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)". This Saudi-American initiative aims to "reduce levels of tension" in Sudan.
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On the diplomatic front, the initiatives of the various blocs are multiplying. The latest comes from the United States and Saudi Arabia. Both announced "pre-negotiation" talks to finally enforce a truce. They urge the warring parties to "get actively involved" but have yet to indicate whether these discussions have begun.
Both countries seem to want to take precedence over regional initiatives. Four days earlier, Igad, the East African regional organization, said through South Sudan that it had obtained "an agreement in principle" from the warring parties for peace talks. Without specifying since the date, nor the place of the discussions.
As for the Arab League, several ministers of its 22 member countries have planned to work tomorrow in Cairo on the "Sudanese issue".
>> READ ALSO: Sudan: donors organize to repatriate thousands of South Sudanese
Fighting continues
Meanwhile, three weeks to the day after the conflict began, fighting has not stopped in Khartoum. The inhabitants still live to the rhythm of the conflict. A resident of the west of the capital reports seeing thick black smoke in her street, after hearing several airstrikes.
The new truce, which came into force on Thursday, May 4, did not hold, like the previous ones. During the day, the Rapid Support Forces and the regular army accused each other of attacking the convoy of the Turkish ambassador to Sudan. It is not yet known if there were any casualties.
On the ground, the fighting, which is entering its fourth week, has left some 700 dead, according to the NGO ACLED which lists victims of conflict. They also left 5,000 wounded, 335,000 displaced and 115,000 refugees, according to the UN. On Friday, they killed 12 civilians in el-Obeid, 300 km south of the capital, according to the doctors' union.
Beyond the direct victims, this conflict is increasing hunger, a scourge that already affected a third of Sudan's 45 million people. According to the UN, between 2 and 2.5 million more people could be acutely malnourished within six months if fighting continues.
>> READ ALSO: Sudan: can we talk about a failure of the UN in the peace process
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- Sudan
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