New peace talks aimed at ending Sudan’s 16-month war have begun, despite both warring sides refusing to enter the negotiating room.
The US, which is leading the talks, insisted the event continued regardless, saying “we will try to do everything we can to try and end this horrible crisis in Sudan”.
Fighting between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed thousands of people, driven around 10 million people from their homes and triggered what the United Nations has called “the world’s worst hunger crisis”.
The army said it would boycott the talks days before they were scheduled to begin, while RSF delegates arrived in Switzerland but at the last minute said they would stay away.
Dispelling hopes of a ceasefire, the army said it would not attend because the RSF had not implemented “what was agreed” in Saudi Arabia last year.
The paramilitary group did not comply with essential conditions of the Jeddah Declaration, such as withdrawing its fighters from civilian homes and public facilities, the army said.
As recently as Tuesday night, there were still hopes that the Sudanese army would arrive for the talks. Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan, said at 23:30 GMT (00:30 Swiss time) that delegates were “still waiting for the SAF”.
“The world is watching,” he posted on X.
Perriello said that in the army’s absence, the other parties would “explore all options to support the people of Sudan.”
RSF also posted on Tuesday evening, saying his arrival in Geneva was “a powerful testament to our resolve and determination to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people”. The group called on the army to participate in the negotiations.
However, RSF was not present at the start of negotiations on Wednesday. The group has not publicly given a reason for the withdrawal.
Before negotiations began, and before RSF’s withdrawal, Mukesh Kapila, former United Nations chief coordinator for Sudan, said the mood among delegates was “quite somber”.
“I don’t think the two belligerents are interested in talking to each other. One of them is not here yet and not much is expected,” he told the BBC.
Previous peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have failed.
Delegates from the US, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the African Union and the United Nations participated in Wednesday’s ceremony.
In addition to citing the Jeddah Declaration, the army also said it was opposed to the UAE’s presence as an observer.
The UAE has been accused of arming the RSF, although the Gulf nation has denied any involvement.
The US has said the United Arab Emirates and Egypt – which also have influence in the conflict – need to participate in negotiations to help ensure that any ceasefire is truly valid.
According to the UN migration agency, tens of thousands of preventable deaths are imminent in Sudan if conflict and restrictions on humanitarian aid continue.
As talks began in Geneva, medical charity MSF said the last functioning city in the besieged Sudanese city of el-Fasher may have to close due to intense shelling.
The Saudi hospital’s surgical ward was hit on Sunday, killing a patient’s caregiver and injuring five others, the charity said.
Rapid Support Forces have been trying to capture the city from the army for several months, forcing tens of thousands of civilians to flee.
It is the last city still under army control in the western region of Darfur, where the RSF has been accused of widespread atrocities against the region’s non-Arab population.
Additional reporting by Will Ross
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