Air strikes rock Sudan as truce talks in Saudi Arabia yield no breakthrough
- Multiple truce deals have been declared, without effect, since fighting erupted on April 15 in the poverty-stricken country with a history of instability
- The fierce combat has killed hundreds of people, wounded thousands and sparked multiple warnings of a ‘catastrophic’ humanitarian crisis
Air strikes again shook Sudan’s capital Monday while the latest truce talks in Jeddah have yielded no progress, with a Saudi diplomat saying both sides consider themselves “capable of winning the battle”.
Sudan was thrown into deadly chaos when fighting broke out on April 15 between the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The battles have since killed hundreds, wounded thousands and left millions barricaded inside their homes amid dire shortages of water, food and basic supplies.
The feuding generals have sent representatives to Saudi Arabia for talks on establishing a humanitarian truce in an effort also backed by the United States, but to no avail so far.
By Monday, the talks had yielded “no major progress”, a Saudi diplomat told Agence France-Presse, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“A permanent ceasefire isn’t on the table … Every side believes it is capable of winning the battle,” the diplomat added.