Sudan’s Burhan demands US address concerns before peace talks

August 5, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday demanded the United States address the government’s concerns before any peace negotiations with rival paramilitary forces.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Burhan by phone on Monday and stressed the need for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to participate in ceasefire talks in Switzerland scheduled for August 14.

However, Burhan said on social media platform X that he had told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call that the government’s concerns must be addressed first.

“I spoke with him about the need to address the government’s concerns before any negotiations,” Burhan said, adding that he had informed Blinken that the RSF was “attacking and besieging El Fasher and preventing the passage of food to the displaced people of the Zamzam camp.”

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed the call and said Blinken had “reiterated the need for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to participate in the ceasefire talks in Switzerland.”

Miller emphasized the urgency of ending the fighting and allowing unhindered humanitarian access to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people. “The destruction and devastation since April 2023 prove that holding ceasefire talks is the only way to end the conflict, prevent the spread of famine, and restore the civilian political process,” he said.

The Sudanese government has demanded answers about the fate of the Jeddah agreement signed last year with the RSF, saying that the latter did not abide by its terms. It has also asked to know the agenda and the parties participating in the proposed talks.