UN-brokered Sudan ceasefire talks begin with one party no-show

A member of the Sudanese Armed forces walks between damaged buildings, almost one year into the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in Omdurman, Sudan, April 7, 2024. /El Tayeb Siddig/File Photo

GENEVA/UNITED NATIONS/CAIRO - Sudan's warring parties are in Switzerland for U.N.-led talks aimed at brokering possible local ceasefires to facilitate aid and protect civilians, but only one side showed up for the start of discussions on Thursday, the United Nations said.

War erupted in April last year between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the integration of the forces in a transition to free elections.

The war has sparked waves of ethnically driven violence blamed largely on the RSF and the U.N. says nearly 25 million people - half of Sudan's population - need aid, famine is looming and almost 10 million people have fled their homes.

The talks in Geneva have been convened by U.N. Sudan mediator Ramtane Lamamra, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in New York. A U.N. spokesperson in Geneva said the parties would negotiate via Lamamra instead of meeting face to face.

"Regrettably, one of the delegations did not come to the session planned for today. (Lamamra) and his team later met with the other delegation as planned," said Dujarric, adding that Lamamra had invited both sides to continue talks on Friday.

He declined to say which party did not show up for talks. Another U.N. spokesperson said the two delegations in Geneva were made up of senior representatives of the leaders of both parties.

An RSF source confirmed to Reuters that its delegation was in Geneva. The army did not respond to a request for comment.

In a speech on Thursday, Sudanese army chief Abdelfattah al-Burhan rejected negotiations unless the RSF withdraws from civilian infrastructure and homes.

"We will get full revenge for every Sudanese who has been harmed (by the RSF). There are no negotiations in Switzerland, Jeddah, or anywhere else," he said in a video of the speech seen by Reuters.

The U.N. effort is the latest is a series of mediation attempts by various countries and entities, none of which have succeeded in achieving a sustained pause in fighting. Talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between the army and RSF sponsored by the United States and Saudi Arabia broke down at the end of 2023.

LOCAL CEASEFIRES

The RSF on Thursday continued its attempt to take over Sennar state, part of its effort to consolidate its control over the center and west of the country, displacing more than 200,000 people according to state news agency SUNA.

"We urge the Sudanese delegations to rise to the challenge and engage in constructive discussions with (Lamamra), for the sake of the Sudanese people," Dujarric said.

On Wednesday, African Union-led talks between Sudanese political factions began, although in the absence of the largest anti-war civilian coalition, which protested what they said was the presence of allies of former autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

Dujarric said the discussions convened by Lamamra "seek to identify avenues for advancement of the identified humanitarian and protection of civilian measures through possible local ceasefires, as requested by the Security Council."

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday that there is no military solution in Sudan.

"We are seeing the devastating impact of this war fought between two generals who have no interest in their civilian population," she told BBC World News. "There has to be a political solution. It has to take place at the negotiating table."

-(Reuters)