On August 14, 2024, representatives from UAE, USA, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN) met at Geneva in Switzerland. They together released a strong joint statement that urged all sides in Sudan to stop fighting immediately and allow delivery of food and other essential supplies to people affected by the conflict. This outreach comes amidst intense international efforts to end a brutal war that has ravaged the country over the last sixteen months.
The statement identified three immediate priorities: ensuring access for humanitarian aid; ending violence; and honouring previous commitments specifically those made on Jeddah. The UAE is well known for its relief initiatives; it underlined crucially important role of unimpeded delivery of help to Sudanese population.
Geneva peace talks are the newest attempt by global communities in their endeavor to restore political stability in Sudan. Their objectives are simple- stop fighting; expand access opportunities for humanitarian organizations; develop a watching system that will guarantee compliance with any negotiated accords.
Sudan isn’t looking good. The number of lives that have been lost in this conflict has exceeded 15,000 while many others have been displaced. Over 7.7 million people are internally displaced within Sudan and more than 2.1 million have sought refuge in other countries.
Despite attempts to do this, the previous negotiations between Saudis and the Sudanese authorities and Americans failed to secure link with the army at Geneva talks. The Sudanese Government is insistent on implementing a prior agreement signed last year at Jeddah with Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This agreement was aimed at safeguarding civilians’ lives as well as ensuring safe passage from war zones. However, each side accuses the other of breaking these conditions and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s military said that RSF should leave occupied cities.
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The UAE’s involvement in these talks demonstrates its commitment to global cooperation and peace building efforts. Its focus on humanitarian assistance and observance of international laws underscores its commitment to maintaining global peace.
It remains cautiously optimistic that diplomatic efforts currently underway in Geneva shall ultimately end violence and usher peace into Sudan.
