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19 August 2024 (Geneva) – Sudan peace talks in Switzerland are focusing on opening three humanitarian corridors to deliver much-needed food and medicine to the war-torn country, US envoy Tom Perillo said on Monday.
Perillo told an online briefing from Geneva that the key crossing from Chad to Adré could open as early as Tuesday, with 100 trucks already waiting at the border.
“Our first priority is to look at how we can develop three pathways that together can ensure that the 20 million people who currently have no or most access to food and medicine can get relief,” he said.
Perello listed Adre as one of the three priority routes, the other two being the Dhaba route in Northern State and the Sennar City route in Sennar State.
“We, along with many of our humanitarian and diplomatic colleagues around the world, are on the brink of opening up Lake Ardrey, with more than 100 trucks ready to go as early as tomorrow,” he said.
For months, aid agencies and U.S. diplomats have been calling for the opening of the Adre crossing to make it easier to deliver humanitarian aid to needy people in Darfur.
Sudan talks make progress
Despite the absence of Sudanese troops at the Geneva conference, the US envoy expressed optimism about the ongoing efforts to bring the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to the negotiation table.
Responding to Sudan Tribune’s questions about the discussions, Perillo said: “The most important thing is that this model works.” He stressed the positive engagement with both parties and said: “We are actively moving forward, talking to the army and the Rapid Support Forces on a daily, actually hourly basis, as a team and as individual delegations, and we are very happy with their response.”
Acknowledging the army’s positive response to participation, he stressed that the ultimate goal is to achieve tangible results. “This is not about statements on paper,” he said. “It’s about whether food and medicine can reach those who need it most, and whether we can get commitments to protect civilians and evacuate schools, homes and hospitals.”
Perillo said the talks would make progress even without the direct involvement of the military. “We can negotiate over the phone,” he noted of humanitarian access and civilian protection efforts, “but President Biden and Secretary Blinken have made it clear that we are going to do everything we can for the Sudanese people.” He expressed hope that the talks would eventually involve all parties, including the military.
The envoy stressed the dire humanitarian situation and the importance of opening relief routes for the millions of Sudanese currently lacking food and medicine. He noted that 100 aid trucks will leave for Sudan on Tuesday and that negotiations will continue with the army and the Rapid Support Forces to achieve results.
Perillo confirmed that both sides have been in contact with the Sudanese military by phone and acknowledged that the talks were going well and could have gone much more smoothly if the military had been directly involved. He expected the talks to continue until the end of the week.
Perillo acknowledged the challenges of achieving a cessation of hostilities without the involvement of both sides, but expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far. He stressed that the United States is committed to resolving the urgent crisis in Sudan, including providing humanitarian assistance, protecting civilians and ceasing hostilities.
He concluded by reiterating his optimism, saying: “If the military delegation comes here, I guarantee that we will achieve more in terms of humanitarian assistance and civilian protection for the Sudanese people.”
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