KHARTOUM: Intense fighting erupted in south Khartoum on Sunday as envoys from Sudan’s warring parties convened in Saudi Arabia for talks aimed at resolving the three-week-long conflict that has resulted in hundreds of casualties and a mass exodus.
The international mediators hope that the US-Saudi initiative will bring an end to the violence and restore stability to the Sudanese capital.
The clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have transformed parts of Khartoum into war zones, disrupting the implementation of an internationally supported plan to establish civilian rule after years of unrest and uprisings.
Since mid-April, the battles have claimed the lives of hundreds of people, injured thousands, impeded the delivery of aid, and forced 100,000 refugees to flee the country.
A 28-year-old laboratory doctor, Manahil Salah, who was evacuated from Port Sudan to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), expressed a mix of sorrow and relief, as she left her homeland and family behind.
Thousands of people are seeking ways to leave Sudan, whether by arranging costly commercial flights through the only operational airport, boarding boats bound for Saudi Arabia, or taking part in evacuation flights.
Sudan warring sides willing to discuss humanitarian truce
While mediators strive to find a solution to the conflict, both sides expressed their willingness to discuss only a humanitarian ceasefire and not negotiate an end to the ongoing conflict.
RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, confirmed his group’s participation in the talks, expressing hope that they would secure safe passage for civilians.
Hemedti has openly expressed his intention to capture or eliminate army leader Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. However, there are indications on the ground that neither side is willing to make concessions to halt the bloodshed.
The conflict started on April 15 following the collapse of an internationally supported plan for a democratic transition. Al-Burhan leads the ruling council established after the ousting of autocrat Omar Al-Bashir in 2019 and a subsequent military coup in 2021.
Hemedti serves as his deputy. Prior to hostilities, Hemedti had shown signs of aligning with a civilian coalition, indicating his political aspirations, which Burhan attributed as the cause of the conflict.
Western powers have been supportive of Sudan’s transition to a civilian government, recognizing its strategic significance at the intersection of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and Africa’s volatile Sahel region.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi leaders, underscoring the international community’s commitment to resolving the crisis in Sudan.
