Sudan ceasefire talks start despite army no-show

U.S.-sponsored talks on agreeing to a ceasefire in the devastating conflict in Sudan kicked off in Switzerland on Wednesday, despite the Sudanese government staying away.

War has raged since April 2023 between the Sudanese army under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. 

"The talks have started," a spokesman for the U.S. mission in Geneva told AFP, adding that there was "no change" to the non-participation of the Sudanese government. 

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

While the RSF is taking part in the talks, the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) are unhappy with the format arranged by Washington. "The RSF delegation has arrived in Switzerland. Our U.S. delegation, and the collective international partners, technical experts and Sudanese civil society, are still waiting on the SAF. The world is watching," Tom Perriello, the U.S. special envoy for Sudan, said before the talks began. 

He urged the government to "seize the opportunity", saying after the opening session that it was "high time for the guns to be silenced". 

The talks, which could last up to 10 days, are being held behind closed doors in an undisclosed location in Switzerland. They are co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and the U.S., with the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations acting as a steering group. 

Sudanese Media Minister Graham Abdelkader said ahead of the talks that the government was rejecting "any new observers or participants" -- after Washington "insisted on the participation of the United Arab Emirates as an observer". 

The Sudanese army has repeatedly accused the UAE of backing the RSF. 

(AFP with edits)