Saudi Arabia-US working to extend Sudan ceasefire: Antony Blinken

 

The US is coordinating with Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations to extend the Sudanese truce and come to an agreement on the distribution of humanitarian goods, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

On Sunday in the Saudi city of Jeddah, negotiations between the warring parties—the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces—began in an effort to put an end to the carnage that has claimed hundreds of lives and driven many others from their homes.

During a news conference on Tuesday with his British counterpart James Cleverly, Mr. Blinken stated, "Together now, we are pressing the warring parties in Sudan to put down their weapons and allow life-saving aid to reach the Sudanese people."

According to Mr. Blinken, ambassadors from the US and Saudi Arabia were "deeply engaged in talks" with the UK, the UAE, the African Union, and other allies.

"Our shared goal is to lay the groundwork for further negotiations between the parties that, in our opinion, can result in an end to hostilities permanently," he added.

However, there have been no new announcements on how the negotiations are going. The Sudanese army and the RSF said that they would focus solely on humanitarian and ceasefire-related concerns, such as safe passage.

Since the fighting started on April 15, many ceasefires have been broken.