US envoy voices hope for Sudan peace talks
A US envoy voiced hope that war-torn Sudan will resume peace talks to prevent a broader regional war, despite previous failed negotiations, reports Asharq Al-Awsat plus agencies.
Tom Perriello, former congressman and now US special envoy for Sudan stated that talks co-led with Saudi Arabia could begin on or around April 18th.
He named Sudan’s station “A war of attrition”. He stated that it “is one that is not just a disaster for civilians, but actually easily becomes a more factionalised and regional war.”
“Anyone who thought that either side had a path to outright victory should at this point be very clear that that’s not the case,” he told reporters after returning to Washington.
Although he is hopeful about resuming formal negotiations after Ramadan, he stressed that it was important not to “fetishise the start of talks”. He added that the United States and other nations were looking at incentives to end the war.
In April 2023, war broke out between the army and the parliamentary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Tens of thousands have been killed since the outbreak and millions have been forced to flee. The already impoverished country now faces the world’s worst hunger crisis.
READ: War-torn Sudan faces world’s largest hunger crisis
The General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur revealed on the 26th of March that over 561 children have died due to food shortages and malnutrition in the 11 months since the war broke out. This averages to a horrific 17 children dying per day.
Displacement camps are officially reaching emergency levels of hunger and are “in urgent need of food” stated the voluntary civil group. Additionally, 70% of the camps’ water sources are now inoperable creating a severe water shortage.
Adam Rijal, spokesperson for the displaced people’s coordination committee stated that “Children are starving. We face severe food shortages, malnutrition, and a collapse of the healthcare system.”
He stressed the critical shortage of life-saving medicines, adding that primary healthcare centres are shutting down due to a lack of personnel and supplies.
After a meeting held last week under the presidency of former prime minister Abdalla Hamdok, the Sudanese Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Taqaddum) launched a humanitarian campaign to garner international support under the slogan #Save_Sudan.
Asharq Al-Awsat/ Agencies.
