Sudan's warring parties to resume talks in Jeddah: Saudi diplomat
Sudan's warring parties will start the next phase of talks on Sunday on mechanisms of implementation of the Jeddah declaration, a senior Saudi diplomat says.
A view of the area as a fire broke out after a house was hit in the Lamab district during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan. / Photo: AA Archive
Representatives of Sudan's warring parties will resume talks on Sunday on how to implement plans to deliver humanitarian aid and remove troops from civilian areas, a senior Saudi diplomat has said.
The parties will remain in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah to start the next phase of the negotiations after agreeing on Thursday to the plan to protect civilians, Reuters reported quoting an unnamed diplomat on Saturday.
The kingdom has also invited General Abdel Fattah al Burhan, head of Sudan's transitional governing Sovereign Council, to an Arab League summit which is scheduled to take place in Jeddah on May 19.
Humanitarian aid
On the other hand, both parties had signed a commitment late Thursday on guidelines for allowing humanitarian assistance.
Representatives of the army and paramilitary forces, who have been fighting for nearly a month, signed the agreement in the Saudi city of Jeddah on a "declaration of commitment to protect the civilians of Sudan," said a US official involved in the talks on Thursday.
The agreement commits both sides in general terms to let in humanitarian assistance, to allow the restoration of electricity, water and other basic services, to withdraw security forces from hospitals and to arrange for "respectful burial" of the dead.
Hundreds dead
Sudan's capital has been devastated by a conflict between the army and paramilitary Rapid Response Forces (RSF) since mid-April.
Since clashes began on April 15, the rival military factions have shown little sign they are ready to end deadly fighting that has uprooted hundreds of thousands of people and could pitch Sudan into a full-blown civil war.
The World Health Organization has said more than 600 people have been killed and more than 5,000 injured in the fighting. The Health Ministry said at least 450 people were killed in the western Darfur region.
Many have fled Khartoum and Darfur, uprooting at least 700,000 people inside the country and sending more than 150,000 as refugees into neighbouring states, according to UN figures.
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