Sudan's al-Burhan wants South Sudan to host peace talks: Envoy

By Benjamin Takpiny

JUBA, South Sudan (AA) – South Sudan remains an ideal location for peace talks to end the conflict in Sudan, according to an envoy of Sudan’s army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Sudan’s government has confidence that South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir can mediate to end the conflict, said Dafallah al-Haj, who was sent to Juba by al-Burhan.

The two countries have strong relations and the Sudanese government believes Kiir can help bring peace and stability in Sudan, he told reporters after meeting the South Sudanese leader on Monday.

“This problem in Sudan is an internal issue and no country should take advantage of this situation,” he added.

Over 600 people have been killed in Sudan since fighting erupted between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the capital Khartoum and its surroundings on April 15.

Al-Haj asserted that the Sudanese army seeks peace and does not want to harm civilians.

Deng Dau Malek, South Sudan’s acting foreign minister, said the African Union, UN, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development have all entrusted Kiir with the responsibility of bringing the warring parties to the negotiating table.

He said Kiir remains willing to travel to Khartoum for peace talks if the airport is opened.​​​​​​​

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the Sudanese army and the RSF over the latter’s integration into the armed forces, a key condition of Sudan’s transition agreement with political groups.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a “coup.”

Sudan’s transitional period, which started in August 2019 after the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir, had been scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.