Reacting to US President Joe Biden’s call, the parties to the conflict in Sudan on Wednesday expressed their readiness to resume negotiations to end the devastating war that the country has been witnessing for more than 17 months. While army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan expressed his readiness to work with all international partners to seek a peaceful solution, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo reiterated his commitment to engaging in peace processes. According to the United Nations, some 25.6 million people, more than half of Sudan’s population, are in crisis or worse food insecurity. 
More than 17 months after the devastating war erupted in Sudan, Sudan’s military and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have expressed their willingness to engage in negotiations to find peaceful solutions.
This comes in response to US President Joe Biden’s call for the warring parties to re-engage in talks leading to the cessation of the war and an end to the acute humanitarian crisis.
Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said Wednesday that the government remains “open to all constructive efforts aimed at ending this devastating war”.
Rapid Support Forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo later followed suit, expressing the same position early Thursday.
Dagalo said on Platform X: “We renew our commitment to ceasefire negotiations. We believe that the path to peace lies in dialogue, not indiscriminate violence, and we will continue to engage in peace processes to ensure a future free of fear and suffering for all Sudanese civilians.”
But the two men accused each other of responsibility for failing to end the conflict, which has killed more than 12,000 people since it began in April 2023, and accused each other of abuses. They did not specify specific steps to reach a peaceful solution.
The conflict erupted when the rivalry between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who earlier shared power after a coup, turned into open warfare.
U.S.-led mediators said last month they had received assurances from both sides during talks in Switzerland to improve humanitarian access, but Sudan’s absence from discussions has hampered progress.
“We are ready to work with all international partners to seek a peaceful solution that alleviates the suffering of our people and puts Sudan on the path towards security, stability, the rule of law and the democratic transfer of power,” Burhan said in a statement.
FRANCE 24/Reuters
