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August 5, 2024 (Port Sudan) – Sudanese Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday asked the United States to address government concerns before any peace talks with hostile paramilitary forces.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Burhan by phone on Monday, stressing the need for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to participate in ceasefire talks scheduled for August 14 in Switzerland.
However, Burhan said on social media platform X that he had told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call that the government’s concerns must be addressed first.
“I spoke to him about the need to address the government’s concerns prior to any negotiations,” Burhan said, adding that he had informed Blinken that the Rapid Support Forces were “attacking and besieging El Fasher and blocking the delivery of food to displaced people in Zam Zam camp.”
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed the call and said Blinken “reiterated the need for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to participate in ceasefire negotiations in Switzerland.”
Miller stressed that it is urgent to end the fighting and allow unhindered humanitarian access to the Sudanese people to alleviate their suffering. “The destruction and disaster since April 2023 prove that holding a ceasefire negotiation is the only way to end the conflict, prevent the spread of famine and resume the civilian political process,” he said.
The Sudanese government has demanded to know the fate of the Jeddah Agreement signed last year with the RSF, saying the latter has not complied with its terms. It has also demanded to know the agenda and participants of the proposed negotiations.
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