Sudan’s rival forces pledged to protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid, late Thursday, but have yet to agree to a ceasefire, US officials said.
The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces also agreed to work for a temporary ceasefire in future dialogue. This comes a week after the two warring factions began talks in the Saudi port of Jeddah hosted by US, UN and Saudi representatives, which US diplomats described as difficult.
“We reaffirm our commitment to ensure the protection of civilians at all times, including by allowing safe passage for civilians to leave areas of active hostilities on a voluntary basis in the direction of their choice ,” the declaration said.
In less than a month of fighting, more than 750 people were killed in a brutal power struggle between rival generals. According to UN figures, about 700,000 people are internally displaced while another 150,000 have fled the north African country.
Meanwhile, access to humanitarian aid has been restricted by the conflict, At least 18 humanitarian workers have been killed and food worth millions of dollars has been stolen from the UN’s World Food Program in Khartoum.
Hope for restoration of water, electricity
Besides a commitment to protect civilians, the agreement calls for the restoration of electricity, water and other basic services. It also called for the withdrawal of forces from hospitals and “respectful burial” of the dead.
“This is not a ceasefire. This is a confirmation of their obligations under international humanitarian law, especially regarding the treatment of civilians and the need to create space for humanitarians to operate,” a a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
A proposal for a 10-day ceasefire is on the table that they hope to turn to negotiations for a long-term end to the fighting, the official said.
“We hope, cautiously, that their willingness to sign this document will create a momentum that will force them to create space” to bring aid, he said. However, at this point the two sides remain “relatively distant.”
Envoys from both sides for the first time agreed on a US-Saudi mechanism to monitor the cease-fires.
Avoiding democracy
The Sudanese army and the RSF were established and reformed by former dictator Omar al-Bashir. Although the generals cooperated to overthrow the dictator in 2019, they were locked in an internal struggle on the subject of combining the two forces for the transfer of civilian rule.
Some US lawmakers and diplomats have sounded the alarm that the violence is marginalizing pro-democracy groups. “We will not allow the civilian leadership of the groups that led the courageous uprising that toppled Omar al-Bashir to be dismissed,” Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat and close aide to President Joe Biden, told a hearing on Wednesday.
mk/kb (Reuters, AFP)