Sudan’s Agar refuses U.S. invitation to resume Jeddah talks

May 29, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – The Sudanese government has declined a request from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to resume negotiations with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Jeddah, citing the lack of prior consultation and the need for established peace foundations.

On Tuesday, Blinken spoke with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, about resuming the Jeddah negotiations, facilitating humanitarian aid, and ending the ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Malik Agar, speaking at a conference in Port Sudan, declared that “The government has refused and will continue to refuse participation in any additional Jeddah negotiations with Rapid Support without prior consultation.”

He stressed that this refusal is not due to opposition to peace but rather the necessity of establishing certain prerequisites, which he did not specify.

Agar expressed discontent with what he perceived as Secretary Blinken’s disrespectful approach in requesting al-Burhan’s participation in Jeddah without consulting the government. He vehemently emphasized the government’s stance, declaring, “Going to Jeddah will only happen over our dead bodies.”

Aqar highlighted the ineffectiveness of past negotiations, asking, “What did the government delegation achieve in Jeddah before? What is the purpose of returning now?”

The Jeddah negotiations, initiated in May 2023 under Saudi-American mediation, have been repeatedly suspended due to violations of agreed-upon truces.

Agar asserted that the current conflict, while rooted in Sudanese issues, has been influenced and exacerbated by foreign actors, including the United States, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates.

He asserted that the external powers that instigated this conflict seek to deny Sudan control over its territory and resources.

(ST)