Sudan: Paramilitary leader says he will attend ceasefire talks in Switzerland

The leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, said on social media on Tuesday that he plans to attend ceasefire talks in Switzerland next month.

They have been arranged by the United States and Saudi Arabia in a bid to bring an end to 15 months of intense fighting  between the paramilitary group and the army.

The US State Department said the talks will aim to build on discussions between the two sides that broke down late last year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“We continue to believe there is no military solution to the conflict in Sudan. And that convening these national ceasefire talks, and making clear that they are backed by key international stakeholders, is the only way to put to end the conflict in Sudan,” said US State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller.

He said this was essential to prevent the famine that exists in Sudan from spreading and to create space to restore the civilian political process.

In a post on X, Dagalo said he hoped the talks would become “a major step” toward peace and stability in Sudan and create a new state based on "justice, equality, and federal rule.”

“We share with the international community the goal of achieving a full ceasefire across the country and facilitating humanitarian access to everyone in need,” he said.

However, it is not yet clear if the army, led by General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, will take part in the talks.

Officials in the office of the spokesperson for the Sudanese army told Associated Press that no decision has been made on whether it will send a delegation.

They are expected to get underway on 14 August at an as-yet unspecified location in Switzerland.

The United Nations says over 14,000 people have been killed and 33,000 others injured in the fighting, but rights activists say the toll could be much higher.

It has also created the world’s largest displacement crisis with over 11 million people forced to flee their homes, as well as allegations of rampant sexual violence and possible crimes against humanity.

International experts recently warned that 755,000 people are facing famine in the coming months.

Last week, the UN secretary-general's envoy for Sudan hosted a series of indirect talks in Geneva between the two sides focusing on issues of humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians.