The US representative to Sudan stated on Monday that there has been a noticeable enhancement in the delivery of aid to the conflict-ridden African nation, which is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis.
Clashes broke out in April 2023 between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) when an attempt to incorporate them into the military fell through.
Both factions have been accused of committing war crimes, such as intentionally targeting civilians and obstructing humanitarian assistance.
“We are pleased by the significant but incremental improvements on humanitarian access,” US envoy on Sudan, Tom Perriello, told AFP
“We have had a couple (of) hundred trucks get through areas that were previously blocked.”
Over 25 million individuals, which is more than half of Sudan’s population, are experiencing severe hunger, as reported by UN agencies. Additionally, a famine has been declared in a displacement camp located in the western Darfur region, which shares a border with Chad.
The ongoing war has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. The World Health Organisation has confirmed a death toll of at least 20,000 individuals, but some estimates suggest the number could be as high as 150,000.
“The situation is extremely dire and those who are in the best position to stop it seem eager instead to accelerate it”, Perriello said.
The attempts to achieve peace through negotiations have been unsuccessful on numerous occasions.
The United States and Saudi Arabia arranged several ceasefires during the initial phase of the conflict, but they were consistently violated, leading to the breakdown of the peace process.
“One track of these efforts overall is a sense of trying to restore the basic norm that even if the war continues, certain issues of humanitarian access and civilian protection should be respected,” Perriello said, blaming “a lack of sufficient will” from the warring sides.
The most recent series of negotiations facilitated by the US commenced in Switzerland the previous month.
Even though a delegation from the RSF participated, the Sudanese armed forces were dissatisfied with the structure and chose not to attend, although they remained in contact with the mediators over the phone.
Saudi Arabia and Switzerland co-hosted the discussions with the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United Nations, comprising the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan Group (ALPS).
The army opposed the UAE’s involvement in the negotiations, alleging that the oil-rich Gulf state was providing weapons to the RSF. The UAE has consistently refuted these allegations.
On Monday, the Sudanese army refuted a claim by the UAE that it had launched an attack on the residence of the UAE’s ambassador in Khartoum.