Over the past 15 months, the horrific conflict in Sudan has pushed millions to the brink of starvation and displaced nearly 10 million people. It continues to cause immeasurable suffering for the Sudanese people.
The United States remains committed to working with partners to end this devastating war. Building from the earlier Jeddah processes co-facilitated with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United States has invited the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to participate in ceasefire talks mediated by the United States to begin on August 14, 2024, in Switzerland.
We thank the government of Switzerland for offering to host the talks and welcome the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a co-host. The talks will include the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations as observers.
The talks in Switzerland aim to reach a nationwide cessation of violence, enabling humanitarian access to all those in need, and develop a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure implementation of any agreement.
These talks do not aim to address broader political issues. As the Sudanese people have long demanded, Sudan’s governance must return to civilians and civilians must play the leading role in defining a process to address political issues and restore Sudan’s democratic transition.
The scale of death, suffering, and destruction in Sudan is devastating. This senseless conflict must end. The United States calls upon the SAF and the RSF to attend the talks and approach them constructively, with the imperative to save lives, stop the fighting, and create a path to a negotiated political solution to the conflict.
We join the Sudanese people’s calls for peace and a democratic transition, and we urge the parties to stop the fighting for the sake of a brighter future for Sudan.
Press Statement
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
July 23, 2024
