Rhino: Agencies – US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perlow said on Thursday that Sudan’s warring parties, the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces should embrace the proposed peace talks on 14 August in Geneva, Switzerland to end the war and the suffering of the people.
In an interview with Radio Tamazuj, Perello said that Sudan risks becoming a failed state, where extremists can set up bases. “This agreement is designed to be a ceasefire agreement, and ceasefires are usually between warring parties in their military capacity. So, we invited the commanders in their capacity as the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. We see this as part of a broader strategy to achieve not just peace, but inclusive democratization in Sudan. In conjunction with this effort, we continue to support the African Union’s inclusive dialogue which continues to take steps in that direction. So, we need this effort to be limited to ceasefire and humanitarian access, and since this is the tradition, we are focusing on the two warring factions as such in the talks.
“Both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are preparing for the talks, which are scheduled to begin in Geneva on 14 August. Again, the goal will be a cessation of violence at the national level, a full agreement for humanitarian access, mechanisms to monitor and enforce that agreement, in addition to the earlier part of that process that we are looking forward to. This means an opportunity to help end the horrific crisis in Sudan that has claimed so many lives. Right now, the rainy season has exacerbated famine and disease that has affected millions.
“We think it would be a very sad situation if the Sudanese military refuses to go to Geneva,” Brillo said. I think we have seen the support of the Sudanese people; they want to see their leaders go to the talks; they want to see a ceasefire agreement. I think that was very clear. So, I think first and foremost, I think people see this as an opportunity to try to end this war. And we think it’s a very fair and strong opportunity for the Sudanese Armed Forces to do that. And we will look at how to take this forward, but that will be different from what we hope, which is a negotiation between the two parties to stop the violence.
“Sudan is a country of enormous wealth and resources whether it’s natural resources or just human talent and the Sudanese have long benefited the region in terms of human capital as well as other investments. Having a country that is unstable and has the potential to become a failed state creates risks. It is no secret that this is where Bin Laden built al-Qaeda, and it is where extremists have stayed in the past. And when a state is as weak as this one is, you’re going to see predators surrounding it, and I think we see countries and forces that are not in the best interest of the Sudanese people seeing the opportunity. And I think that has made it incumbent on all those who care about the Sudanese people and care about regional stability to say that their first priority now should be to join hands to end this war and restore Sudanese to their future rather than necessarily scrambling for the interest of one country or another.
