International mediators involved in the negotiations to end the war in Sudan have praised the decisions made by the conflicting parties to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country. In a joint statement on Saturday, the sponsors of the negotiations taking place in Switzerland highlighted that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have committed to collaborating on humanitarian deliveries to Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions.
Mediators including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the African Union, and the United Nations also commended the Sudanese military for their decision to open the Adre border crossing to Chad in North Darfur for three months. In the joint statement, they said, “These constructive decisions from both parties will enable the entry of much-needed aid to stop famine, tackle food security, and respond to enormous humanitarian needs in Darfur and beyond.”
Additionally, the mediators urged the conflicting parties to “immediately communicate and coordinate with humanitarian partners to effectively operationalize these corridors with full and unhindered access.” The negotiations began in Geneva, Switzerland, where the Sudanese military, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is not participating due to objections to the negotiation format.
The war in Sudan, which started last year, has resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and mass displacements. The RSF, led by Mohamad Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti,” is fighting against the Sudanese military for power in the African nation with a population of 46 million. Human rights organizations have called on both parties to avoid harming civilians and to enable humanitarian access.
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which monitors global hunger, over 25 million people in Sudan are facing acute hunger. Earlier this week, the Sudanese military, which dominates the Transitional Sovereignty Council, announced the opening of the Adre border crossing to North Darfur. The IPC declared famine in parts of the region on August 1st.
The RSF has also stated that they will facilitate the passage of humanitarian convoys through the Debbah crossing north of Khartoum. “The RSF remains determined to ensure the safe passage and protection of humanitarian convoys, in strict accordance with international humanitarian law,” the paramilitary group said in a statement.
It is unclear whether the two decisions are related to the negotiations in Geneva. While the negotiations were taking place in Switzerland, the Associated Press and AFP news agencies reported—citing local and medical sources—that an RSF attack in the village of Jalgini in the southeastern Sennar state killed dozens of people this week. The war in Sudan has displaced more than 10 million people and triggered a health catastrophe.
An official from the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that a cholera outbreak has killed at least 316 people in the country. The United States has stated that the negotiations in Geneva aim to end the fighting and alleviate suffering in Sudan. On Friday, Washington called on the Sudanese military to participate in the negotiations.
“The opening of the Adre border crossing is an important achievement at a critical time for humanitarian efforts to deliver assistance to those most in need and to avoid a worsening famine,” said the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, in a social media post. “We will continue our efforts to save Sudanese lives and call for an end to the fighting. The RSF is ready to initiate talks; the SAF must decide to come.”
The U.S. has taken a leading role in peace negotiations in Sudan. The two countries had bitter ties for many years until the ousting of long-time Sudanese ruler Omar al-Bashir, who was removed by the military after mass mobilizations in 2019. Khartoum and Washington restored diplomatic ties in 2020. Sudan also agreed to establish relations with Israel—America’s key ally in the Middle East—and was removed from the U.S. list of “state sponsors of terrorism.” However, efforts to bring Sudan under civilian and democratic governance in the post-Bashir era have been unsuccessful. The Sudanese military ousted the country’s civilian government led by Abdalla Hamdok in October 2021, leading to his withdrawal early in 2022. Fighting between the military and the RSF broke out the following year, and Hemedti was excluded from the Transitional Sovereignty Council.