ALBAWABA - Despite the absence of Sudan's warring parties, the US-sponsored ceasefire talks started on Wednesday in Geneva with the presence of delegates from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, The United Arab Emirates, the African Union, and the UN.
The first day of US-led peace negotiations aimed at ending Sudan's horrific conflict concluded Wednesday in Geneva, with the country's military absent and the presence of the Rapid Support Forces being unclear.
The negotiations take place while the war-torn country suffers one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises. The country's military did not send representatives, and it appears that no delegates from the other warring faction, the RSF, attended Wednesday's meeting.
A statement was released concluding the first day of the talks, on behalf of the participating countries. "We are hard at work in Switzerland on the first day of intensive diplomatic efforts for Sudan to support humanitarian access, cessation of hostilities," it reads.
US Special Envoy to Sudan Tom Perrillo took to X, to report on the outcomes of the first day, saying that it "yielded concrete ideas for compliance and execution of parties’ Jeddah Declaration commitments,".
In a press conference, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters "Obviously, we would want to see all sides participate so that the talks can be as successful as possible,".
Sudan's military head, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, stated Tuesday that the military would not discuss a cease-fire until the RSF ceased taking civilian houses. He condemned the RSF for "falsely claiming peace" while continuing to perpetrate crimes of war.
"There is no cessation of hostilities without the withdrawal and exit of up to the last militia from the cities and villages that they have plundered and colonized," al-Burhan stated.
Burhan survived a drone attack in late July that killed five people during an army graduation ceremony in the country's east. Some accusations were thrown around saying that the RSF had hands in the attack.
