PORT SUDAN: Sudan’s ruler and army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said on Saturday that his government would not participate in the ongoing peace talks with rival paramilitaries in Switzerland, vowing instead to “fight for 100 years”.
Burhan said that his forces would continue the fight against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) “for 100 years,” rejecting the notion of a negotiated settlement.
The announcement came as the United States initiated peace talks in Geneva on August 14, aiming to alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis and establish a lasting ceasefire in Sudan. Despite the RSF’s participation in the talks, the Sudanese armed forces, led by Burhan, did not attend in person. Instead, they maintained contact with the mediators via telephone.
The peace talks, hosted by Switzerland, with support from the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations, concluded on Friday. While a formal ceasefire was not achieved, the talks made progress in securing humanitarian aid access on two critical routes into Sudan.
The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the RSF, which began over 16 months ago, has led to widespread devastation. The brutal fighting has displaced approximately one in five people in Sudan, with tens of thousands of casualties reported. Over 25 million people, more than half of Sudan’s population, are currently facing acute hunger as a result of the prolonged violence.
Burhan’s refusal to engage in peace negotiations underscores the entrenched positions of the warring parties and raises concerns about the prospects of resolving the crisis through diplomatic means. The conflict has left the country in a state of severe humanitarian distress.
