Senior leaders from Sudan’s warring sides met multiple times in Bahrain this month, but this was the first such contact since the war began in mid-April.
Senior leaders of the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia met three times this month in Bahrain, a source familiar with the talks said, adding that this was the latest development between the two warring sides in the nine-month conflict. This is the first time they have had such contact.
Unlike previous talks on the Sudanese war, the Manama meeting was attended by influential parliamentarians from both sides, as well as officials from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, major supporters of the military and RSF, respectively. said four sources, two of whom were present at the meeting.
The unannounced meeting, which also included the United States and Saudi Arabia, officials said, saw little progress despite repeated attempts by the two countries and East African nations to broker a ceasefire and a political agreement to end the war. This was done in response to this.
Sudan’s civil war erupted in April last year over a dispute over the authority of the military and the RSF under an internationally supported plan for political transition to civilian rule and elections.
After a 2019 uprising ousted former leader Omar al-Bashir, the military and RSF shared power with civilians and staged a coup two years later.
The fighting has destroyed parts of Sudan, including the capital Khartoum, killed more than 13,000 people, the United Nations estimates, and sparked famine warnings and an internal displacement crisis.
Both sides maintained their commitments at talks held last year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, attended by lower-level officials.
In Manama, by contrast, the military was represented by hardliner General Shamseldin Kabashi and the RSF was represented by General Abdelrahim Dagalo, the younger brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the officials said.
One participant said the two countries had tentatively agreed to a declaration of principles that included maintaining the unity of Sudan and the Sudanese military.
Further talks on a ceasefire were planned, but last week’s follow-up meeting was postponed, the official added.
No breakthrough
Although there was no breakthrough, the talks showed that allies concerned about a country heading towards bankruptcy can apply new pressure, said Alan Boswell, an analyst at Crisis Group.
“Having Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates supporting a single peace effort is a major missing ingredient. It may not be enough, but it appears necessary,” Boswell said. .
The UAE was not closely involved in the previous talks, but Egypt was conducting parallel talks. U.N. experts say there is credible evidence that the UAE regularly arms the RSF and supports its advances, a charge Gulf states deny.
Representatives for the Sudanese military, RSF and UAE declined to comment.
A State Department spokeswoman said the United States was “ready to partner with regional actors that have influence over belligerents,” but did not comment on negotiations.
RSF progress
The RSF, which controls much of Khartoum and western Sudan on suspicion of ethnic cleansing, has recently made rapid military advances, raising fears that Africa’s third-largest country by area could be torn apart. ing.
This month, the RSF moved further east from its stronghold in Darfur, attacking Babanusa in West Kordofan state. Its forces also spread to Gezira province, which it took control of last month.
Meanwhile, the military is pushing to retake territory in the capital, recruiting and arming civilians in areas under military control.
RSF chief Dagalo, whose whereabouts during the war were previously unknown, embarked on a regional tour earlier this month in an apparent attempt to burnish his image. Dagalo, known as Hemedi, was formally welcomed by several African leaders and drew condemnation from the military.
Hemedi also postponed a planned summit with Burhan in Djibouti, but regional mediators said the two men had agreed to do so despite flying to another country due to technical issues. was cited as the reason.
Meanwhile, at a rally with soldiers this week, Burhan said the war will continue unless negotiations bring RSF soldiers to justice and civilians home.