Sudan negotiators working phones to engage both sides: US envoy

Though the Sudanese army is still staying away from ceasefire talks in Switzerland, the US envoy convening the negotiations told AFP they were nonetheless in daily contact -- and making progress on humanitarian aid.

War has raged since April 2023 between the Sudanese army under the country's de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The brutal conflict has unleashed one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan, said the talks' leadership group was speaking to both sides, bashing the phones to reach the Sudanese armed forces (SAF), while the RSF's delegation is on the ground in Switzerland.

The talks are co-hosted by the United States, Saudi Arabia and the Swiss, with the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations acting as a steering group.

The negotiations, which began on Monday and could last around 10 days, are being held behind closed doors in an undisclosed location.

"We're working the phones. The fact is, in this day and age, everyone in this diplomatic coalition can speak to SAF leadership and RSF leadership," Perriello told AFP.

"We, every day, are in communication with RSF and SAF leadership, the two sides of this war."

The talks, which also involve experts and civil society representatives, are aimed at achieving a cessation of hostilities, ensuring humanitarian access and implementing understandings accepted by both sides.

As for monitoring mechanisms to ensure agreements are implemented, Perriello insisted there were "many proposals".

"We are seeing a tremendous amount of momentum and energy to try to get those mechanisms agreed upon, and in place."

- Proximity format -

Despite the Sudanese army's no-show so far, the special envoy said the talks were having some success, simply by casting international focus on Sudan at a time "when the world was turning its attention away".

The meeting is proceeding using a proximity talks format -- where the brokers speak to each side separately, rather than the two sides talking directly.

"The really exciting thing is that we're having what you call virtual proximity talks, which is that we are already actively engaged every day with both the RSF and SAF," said Perriello.

He said the Egyptians, Saudis, Emiratis, the UN and the AU were "helping out to lead so much on the mediation".

The envoy admitted progress on a ceasefire and humanitarian access would be "easier... in person. But with the magic of telephones and other things, we are not being held back by that refusal to show up."

- Opening the gates -

The fighting has forced one in five people to flee their homes, while tens of thousands have died.

More than 25 million people across the country -- more than half its population -- face acute hunger. Famine has been declared in a Darfur displacement camp.

Burhan's authorities have announced that Sudan's western Adre border crossing with Chad was set to reopen for three months for humanitarian deliveries.

The closure of the crossing has been a longstanding concern for aid groups struggling to get food and supplies into Sudan's Darfur region.

"We are really continuing to see progress on the humanitarian side," said Perriello.

Opening the crossing "has been an essential demand for months now, to move humanitarian aid into some of the parts of Darfur that have had the most acute starvation and hunger.

"We're hoping to get commitments from the RSF to respond accordingly with things like making sure they have unhindered safe access going in.

"We're seeing results each day on progress that's going to mean more food and medicine for more people," the envoy said.

"But we have so much more to do -- and it would be easier if the army showed up."