Smoke billows above residential buildings in Khartoum on April 16, 2023. | AFP

Sudan’s warring parties have sent their envoys to Saudi Arabia for talks aimed at cementing a series of failed cease-fires after three weeks of fierce fighting, according to official reports.

The pre-negotiation talks led by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia would be the first since violence erupted between Sudan’s military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces of Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo on April 15.

Two officials representing the army and one official from the paramilitary RSF, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, have confirmed that the talks will begin on Saturday.

Three weeks of sustained heavy fighting in Khartoum and other cities have killed hundreds of people and displaced nearly 450,000 civilians, according to the International Organization for Migration.

After many failed ceasefire agreements, there have been persistent efforts by the regional and international powers to pressure the warring sides to the negotiating table.

The U.S. and Saudi governments have released a joint statement saying they welcomed the start of the talks in the coastal city of Jeddah.

“We urge both parties to take into consideration the interests of the Sudanese nation and its people and actively engage in the talks towards a ceasefire and end to the conflict, which will spare the Sudanese people’s suffering and ensure the availability of humanitarian aid to affected areas,” reads the statement.

The Sudanese army delegation left for Jeddah on Friday evening, as reported by Al Jazeera. But the warring parties said they will only discuss humanitarian ceasefires and not negotiations on ending the conflict in Sudan.