As battles persist in Khartoum, representatives from Sudan’s warring parties gathered in Saudi Arabia to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire. The conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left at least 700 people dead, many of whom are civilians, and caused millions of Sudanese and foreigners to flee the country.
With previous ceasefires broken and unobserved, residents in Khartoum remain trapped in their homes and makeshift shelters, lacking essential resources such as food, medicine, and water. Representatives from both sides are in Jeddah to negotiate a humanitarian ceasefire to enable aid to reach the besieged population. However, little information has been disclosed about the progress of the talks since Saturday, and both sides have blamed each other for violating previous truces.
The conflict began after the army and the RSF disagreed on delivering civilian rule in Sudan following the ousting of long-time leader Omar Bashir in 2019. Both sides have portrayed themselves as defenders of Sudan’s democratic values, despite the removal of the country’s civilian-led transitional government. Saudi Arabia and the United States have backed the talks and called for an end to the conflict.
Image Credit: Marwan Ali/AP
