Sudan peace talks make progress, mediation source says

Hemedti and al-Burhan were allies who ousted former strongman President Omar al-Bashir, but are now bitter rivals

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Peace talks between Sudan's warring Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces have made progress, and an agreement on a ceasefire to the bloody conflict is expected soon, a mediation source told Reuters on Wednesday.

Clashes between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support forces first erupted in mid-April, killing hundreds and injuring thousands.

Weeks after the fighting broke out, the leaders of Sudan's army (SAF) and the paramilitary group RSF agreed to send representatives to the Saudi city of Jeddah for "pre-negotiation talks" mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia.

Previous ceasefires between the parties have not yielded an end to the fighting, which has left the country on the brink of civil war and a massive humanitarian catastrophe.

At the heart of the violence are two men vying for dominance: Sudan's military ruler and head of the army Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (widely known as Hemedti), the country's deputy and head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group.

Until recently, the two were allies who worked together to topple ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and played a pivotal role in the military coup in 2021. But tensions arose during negotiations to integrate the RSF into the country's military as part of plans to restore civilian rule.

Source: Reuters