WASHINGTON/CAIRO: Sudan’s warring factions are not taking advantage of talks initiated by the US and Saudi Arabia meant to yield a permanent ceasefire as they originally agreed, a senior US State Department official said on Tuesday.
The US is consulting Saudi Arabia and others in the Arab world and Africa about a path forward and hoped to announce a recommended approach in the next few days, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters in Washington.
“We think we’ve given them every shot. We’ve given them this venue to try and come together and try and find a way forward that doesn’t involve achieving an outcome that’s based on violence or military dominance,” the official said.
“They are clearly not taking advantage of the format that we’ve given them. It’s not succeeding in the way they had originally agreed in terms of this step by step process to reach a permanent cessation of hostilities.”
The war between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in mid April and has forced almost 2 million people to flee and wrecked the economy. –Agencies
