Almost a month into the conflict in Sudan, the Sudanese warriors signed a commitment to respect humanitarian principles, but did not agree to a ceasefire.
Sudan’s warring military factions signed a commitment to respect humanitarian principles in their spiraling conflict late Thursday. Still, they did not reach a ceasefire in talks described by US diplomats as difficult.
Nearly one month after the eruption of violence that killed more than 750 people, injured 5,000, and displaced more than 900,000 others, the two sides promised in talks in the Saudi port Jeddah to protect civilians, but nothing looked to change immediately.
The agreement commits both sides in general terms to let in badly needed humanitarian assistance after looting and attacks targeting aid in the impoverished country, Africa’s third largest in area.
The declaration calls for the restoration of electricity, water, and other essential services, the withdrawal of security forces from hospitals, and the “respectful burial” of the dead.
The United States and Saudi Arabia, which are together leading the diplomatic drive, said that talks were ongoing with a proposal on the table for a 10-day truce, which would lead, in turn, to negotiations on a longer-term end to the fighting.
But fighting and looting raged most of Thursday in the capital, Khartoum, and US diplomats were frank about the obstacles in the nearly week-long talks in Jeddah.
At least 18 humanitarian workers have been killed since the war started on April 15, with many NGOs and United Nations agencies at least temporarily suspending work.
The UN’s World Food Program said millions of dollars worth of food was looted in Khartoum.
On Thursday, the United Nations’ top rights body narrowly decided to beef up monitoring of abuses in Sudan, expanding the work of an existing special rapporteur.
Miroslava Salazar with AFP
