Sudan conflict: rival military factions commit to facilitating humanitarian aid

After days of talks in Jeddah, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to commit to facilitating humanitarian aid and implement trust-building measures, but a ceasefire is yet to be agreed upon.
A joint statement by Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the regional African bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) released on Tuesday (7 November) also expressed their regret that the two parties had not reached an agreement for a ceasefire, urging them “to put the interests of the Sudanese people first, put down their weapons.” The talks in Jeddah remain focused on a specific set of objectives including facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance, establishing ceasefires and other confidence-building measures, and working toward a permanent cessation of hostilities, the statement said.
Meanwhile, UNHCR senior official, Dominique Hyde, who recently visited Sudan says ongoing hostilities between the SAF and RSF have “turned previously peaceful Sudanese homes into cemeteries.” Speaking during a recent press briefing held in Geneva on the conflict’s impact in the north-east African nation, Hyde warned the situation is dire. “What I saw was despair, was unimaginable humanitarian needs and fear in so many peoples’ eyes,” Hyde said. Fighting between the rival military factions has displaced over 7.1 million people since April, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).