New peace talks have begun to end Sudan’s 16-month war despite the two warring sides refusing to enter the negotiating room.
The US, which is leading the talks, demanded that the event go ahead regardless, saying: “We will do everything we can to end this terrible crisis in Sudan.”
Fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed thousands of people and forced some 10 million from their homes, sparking what the United Nations calls the “world’s worst hunger crisis.”
The army announced a few days before the scheduled start of the talks that it would boycott the talks. In the meantime, the RSF delegates had arrived in Switzerland, but at the last moment they said they would stay away.
The army said it would not attend because the RSF had failed to implement what was agreed in Saudi Arabia last year, dashing hopes for a ceasefire.
According to the military, the paramilitary group has failed to comply with key conditions of the Jeddah Declaration, such as withdrawing its fighters from civilian homes and public facilities.
As late as Tuesday night, there was hope that Sudan’s military would arrive for the talks. Tom Perriello, the US special envoy to Sudan, said at 23:30 GMT (00:30 Swiss time) that delegates were “still waiting for the SAF”.
“The world is watching,” he posted on X.
Mr Perriello said that in the absence of the military, the other parties would “explore every option to support the people of Sudan”.
RSF also posted a message Tuesday night, saying the arrival in Geneva was “a powerful demonstration of our resolve and determination to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.” The group called on the military to attend the talks.
However, RSF was not present at the start of the talks on Wednesday and has not publicly given a reason for the withdrawal.
Before the talks were to begin and before the RSF withdrew, Mukesh Kapila, the former United Nations chief coordinator for Sudan, said the mood among delegates was “quite somber.”
“I don’t think the two warring parties are interested in talking to each other. One of them is not there yet and not much is expected,” he told the BBC.
Previous peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have all failed.
Delegates from the US, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the African Union and the United Nations attended the ceremony on Wednesday.
The military not only referred to the Jeddah Declaration, but also objected to the UAE’s presence as an observer.
The UAE has been accused of arming the RSF, although the Gulf country denies any involvement.
The US said the UAE and Egypt, which also have influence in the conflict, should attend the talks to ensure any ceasefire would hold.
Tens of thousands of preventable deaths are at risk in Sudan if the conflict and restrictions on humanitarian aid continue, the UN migration agency said.
As talks began in Geneva, medical aid group MSF said the last functioning town in the besieged Sudanese city of El-Fasher may have to be closed due to intense bombardment.
The surgical wing of the Saudi hospital was hit on Sunday, killing a patient’s caregiver and injuring five others, the charity said.
The Rapid Support Forces have been trying to capture the city from the army for months, forcing tens of thousands of civilians to flee.
It is the last town in western Darfur still under the control of the army, where the RSF is accused of large-scale atrocities against the region’s non-Arab population.
Additional reporting by Will Ross
Read more about the civil war in Sudan via the BBC:
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfricaon Facebook on BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
BBC Africa Podcasts
