General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagal, Commander of the Rapid Support Forces - Courtesy

Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces are set to hold peace talks in Switzerland in mid-August, the United States announced on Tuesday.

In a statement sent to Eye Radio newsroom, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had invited the SAF and the RSF to the talks.

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) confirmed to the Keystone-SDA news agency that the negotiations would be taking place in Switzerland.

The United States has asked Switzerland to help organize talks between the warring parties to reach a ceasefire.

Over the past 15 months, the horrific conflict in Sudan has pushed millions to the brink of starvation and displaced nearly 10 million people.

The war continues to cause immeasurable suffering for the Sudanese people.

The statement stated that the United States remains committed to working with partners to end this devastating war.

It says the talks will include the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations as observers.

According to the US, the talks in Switzerland aim to reach a nationwide cessation of violence, enabling humanitarian access to all those in need, and develop a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure implementation of any agreement.

These talks do not aim to address broader political issues.

It stated that as the Sudanese people have long demanded, Sudan’s governance must return to civilians and civilians must play the leading role in defining a process to address political issues and restore Sudan’s democratic transition.

The scale of death, suffering, and destruction in Sudan is devastating. This senseless conflict must end.

In the statement, the United States called upon the SAF and the RSF to attend the talks and approach them constructively, with the imperative to save lives, stop the fighting, and create a path to a negotiated political solution to the conflict.

It added that the US join the Sudanese people’s calls for peace and a democratic transition, and we urge the parties to stop the fighting for the sake of a brighter future for Sudan.

–  KOANG