Sudan Rival Generals Agree To Stable Ceasefire Talks UN Says
Sudan warring rivals have agreed to send representatives for negotiations, potentially in Saudi Arabia.
The UN special representative in the country, volker perthes, told the Associated Press (AP) news agency on monday that the talks would initially focus on establishing a “stable and reliable” ceasefire monitored by national and international observers.
He said the two sides had already named their representatives for preliminary discussions but cautioned that logistics for talks were still being worked out.
Mr Perthes also said that in the past week he had noticed a “change in tone” from the two warring sides, noting their realisation of how dangerous the situation had become and that any victory would be won at “too great a cost”.
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No definite information is available on the when and where of the negotiations.
The un official said both sides would have to agree on the venue.
The two sides announced late sunday they would abide by a 72-hour extension of their nominal ceasefire of the past week.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi warned Monday of many more fleeing Sudan.
“If violence doesn’t stop we will see more people forced to flee Sudan seeking safety,” he wrote on Twitter.
The eruption of fighting capped months of worsening Burhan-Dagalo disputes as the international community tried to work out a deal for establishing civilian rule.
“We all saw the enormous tensions,” Perthes said. “Our efforts to de-escalate did not succeed.”
He said he had been warning repeatedly that “any single spark” could cause the power struggle to explode.
Perthes warned of a “major humanitarian crisis” as people were running out of food and fresh water in Khartoum and the fighting damaged water systems.
A real cease-fire is vital to getting access to residents who are trapped in their homes or injured, he said.
“If we don’t get a stable cease-fire … the humanitarian situation will be even worse.”
Associated Press writers Nick El Hajj in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.