Sudan’s warring parties have arrived in Switzerland for United Nations (UN) led talks focused on negotiating potential local ceasefires to facilitate aid and protect civilians.
However, the United Nations reported that only one side was present at the beginning of the discussions on Thursday.
Conflict erupted in April last year between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the unification of their forces as part of a transition to democratic elections.
The conflict has triggered waves of ethnically driven violence, primarily blamed on the RSF.
The UN reports that nearly 25 million people, half of Sudan’s population, are in need of assistance, famine is approaching, and nearly 10 million people have been displaced.
U.N. Sudan mediator Ramtane Lamamra has convened the talks in Geneva, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric announced in New York.
Another UN spokesperson in Geneva stated that the parties would negotiate through Lamamra rather than meeting directly.
“Unfortunately, one of the delegations did not participate in today’s scheduled session. (Lamamra) and his team subsequently met with the other delegation as planned,” Dujarric stated, noting that Lamamra had invited both parties to continue discussions on Friday.
He chose not to disclose which party did not arrive for the talks.
A UN spokesperson indicated that the two delegations in Geneva included senior representatives of the leaders from both factions.
A source from the RSF confirmed to Reuters that their delegation was indeed in Geneva. There was no response from the army to a request for comment.
During a speech on Thursday, Sudanese army chief Abdelfattah al-Burhan declared that negotiations would not proceed unless the RSF withdraws from civilian facilities and urban areas.
“We will exact full retribution for every Sudanese harmed by the RSF. There will be no negotiations in Switzerland, Jeddah, or anywhere else,” he stated in a video of the speech reviewed by Reuters.
The UN’s initiative is the most recent in a series of mediation efforts by various countries and entities, none of which have succeeded in achieving a lasting cessation of hostilities.
Discussions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between the army and RSF, with support from the United States and Saudi Arabia, broke down at the end of 2023.
On Thursday, the RSF pressed on with its bid to seize Sennar state, as part of its strategy to consolidate control over the central and western regions of the nation, displacing more than 200,000 individuals, as reported by the state news agency SUNA.
Dujarric urged the Sudanese delegations to step up and participate in productive discussions with Lamamra, emphasising the importance for the Sudanese people.
African Union-facilitated discussions between Sudanese political factions began on Wednesday, but the largest anti-war civilian coalition abstained, protesting the participation of allies of former autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
Lamamra’s discussions aim to explore pathways for advancing humanitarian efforts and protecting civilians through potential local ceasefires, as mandated by the Security Council.
On Thursday, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield emphasised that Sudan does not possess a military solution.
She informed BBC World News, “We are witnessing the catastrophic consequences of a conflict waged by two generals who show no regard for their civilian population. A political resolution is imperative and must occur through negotiations at the table.”