US-mediated ceasefire talks aimed at halting Sudan’s ongoing conflict began in Switzerland on Wednesday, even though the Sudanese government has declined to participate. The discussions, led by US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello, proceed amid a brutal war that has ravaged the country since April 2023.
The conflict pits Sudan’s army, led by de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. While an RSF delegation has arrived in Switzerland for the talks, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have yet to accept the invitation, casting doubt over the potential outcomes.
Despite the absence of the SAF, Perriello emphasized the urgency of moving forward with the talks, stressing that the suffering of the Sudanese people, who are caught in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, cannot be ignored. “The time for peace is now,” Perriello said on Tuesday, urging the Sudanese government to seize the opportunity for dialogue.
Co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and Switzerland, the talks are taking place behind closed doors at an undisclosed location. The African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations are attending as observers. The discussions are expected to last up to 10 days, focusing on achieving a cessation of hostilities and expanding humanitarian access.
Since the conflict began, tens of thousands of people have died, and one in five Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes. More than 25 million people—over half the country’s population—are now facing acute hunger.
Previous ceasefire talks held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, failed to yield results. If the SAF remains absent from the current negotiations, there will be no formal mediation between the warring factions, though other participants will continue with the talks’ agenda. Perriello noted the “deep sense of urgency” among the international community to make progress towards peace and uphold existing agreements.
The Sudanese government has called for further discussions before engaging in ceasefire negotiations and has rejected the inclusion of new observers, particularly the United Arab Emirates, which the Sudanese army accuses of backing the RSF.
Alan Boswell, Horn of Africa project director at the International Crisis Group, highlighted internal divisions within Burhan’s camp regarding participation in the talks. “Restarting the talks at all would be a breakthrough,” Boswell said, adding that the presence of key external actors like the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt increases the pressure on Burhan to engage.
As the conflict continues, Sudan faces the world’s largest displacement crisis, with over 10.7 million people displaced internally and around 2.3 million fleeing abroad. The UN has described the situation as a “battlefield of despair,” urging immediate action to prevent further loss of life and shattered futures.
“Without a ceasefire… every day we delay, more lives are lost, more dreams are shattered, and more futures are stolen,” said Mohamed Refaat, chief of the UN migration agency’s Sudan mission. He added, “Enough is enough.”
