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Saudi Arabia, US express disappointment in Sudan violence resumption after ceasefire
Saudi Arabia and the US expressed their disappointment in the resumption of violence in Sudan after a 24-hour ceasefire between the warring sides ended on Sunday.
The ceasefire between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) went into effect at 6 a.m. on June 10 and ended on June 11. Soon after the ceasefire expired, clashes were reported again in the country.
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Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia and the US praised the warring sides of the relative calm that Sudan had witnessed during the short cessation of hostilities.
“Saudi Arabia and the US note that during the 24-hour ceasefire, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the (RSF) demonstrated effective command and control over their forces, resulting in reduced fighting throughout Sudan that enabled the delivery of vital humanitarian assistance and the achievement of some confidence-building measures,” according to a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued late on Sunday.
“However, there were violations and following the expiration of the short-term ceasefire, facilitators have been deeply disappointed by the immediate resumption of intense violence, which we strongly condemn.”
The Kingdom and the US have been facilitating talks in the Sudan conflict and have brokered several ceasefires between the parties in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
However, earlier this month the facilitators announced that they were suspending the Jeddah talks, after repeated violations to ceasefires.
In Sunday’s statement, the facilitators reiterated their readiness to resume the Jeddah talks “but only once the parties demonstrate their commitment to uphold their obligations under the Jeddah Declaration to Protect the Civilians of Sudan.”
Both the Kingdom and the US continue to stand by the Sudanese people adding that “there is no acceptable military solution to the conflict” that broke out on April 15 due to struggle of power.
In addition to engaging with the warring sides, the facilitators say they continue to coordinate with “regional and international partners to stop the fighting and minimize its impact on the region, and to intensify coordination with Sudanese civilian stakeholders, who must be the authors of their country’s future.”
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