Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have expressed a willingness to pursue peaceful solutions to a brutal conflict that has raged for over 17 months. This comes in response to a call from U.S. President Joe Biden for renewed talks.
Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, reaffirmed the government’s openness to all efforts aimed at ending the war. A day later, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo echoed this stance, emphasizing the importance of dialogue over violence. “We reaffirm our commitment to ceasefire negotiations,” Dagalo said on social media platform X, stressing that peace lies in dialogue.
Despite these declarations, both sides continue to accuse each other of escalating the violence. The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, stems from a power struggle between the army and the RSF, who had once ruled together after a coup.
The war has claimed over 12,000 lives and displaced millions, with both sides facing accusations of human rights abuses. Although U.S.-led mediators secured humanitarian aid guarantees last month, Sudan’s army did not fully engage in those discussions, stalling progress.
Burhan emphasized the need for international collaboration, saying, “We stand ready to work with all international partners in pursuit of a peaceful resolution that alleviates the suffering of our people.”
As both sides express a tentative willingness for dialogue, the path to peace remains unclear, with no concrete steps outlined. The international community remains hopeful that these early commitments could pave the way for an end to the bloodshed.
