Sudan army agrees ‘in principle’ to talks with RSF

Sudanese army chief, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, has agreed “in principle” to holding talks with the commander of the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), South Sudan’s Interim Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Deng Dau Deng said yesterday.

In a telephone interview with Sky News Arabia, Dau Deng said the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, had proposed holding a meeting between Al-Burhan and Dagalo, without specifying the location.

“Our president asked Al-Burhan to hold a meeting with Dagalo or his representative,” he said, explaining that Kiir is trying to “reach” Dagalo to propose meeting with Al-Burhan.

“Al-Burhan agreed in principle to the possibility of holding talks with Daglo.”

Yesterday Al-Burhan approved a plan to extend the truce in Sudan for another 72 hours and send an army envoy to the South Sudan capital, Juba, for talks, according to Reuters.

Battles between the army and the Rapid Support Forces which erupted almost two weeks ago have killed 512 people and injured 4,193 and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes in Khartoum heading to other states in Sudan or towards Chad and Egypt.

READ: Sudan rejects external mediation efforts