Washington D.C. has hosted a meeting of the Quartet countries, comprising the USA, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, to push for peace in Sudan and achieve a humanitarian truce. The gathering aimed to bolster collective efforts towards peace and stability in Sudan, including securing an urgent humanitarian truce, achieving a permanent ceasefire, halting external support, and advancing the transition to civilian rule, according to Massad Boulos, adviser to the US president for Africa and the Middle East.
The primary objective of the talks is to establish a three-month ceasefire, allowing humanitarian aid to reach millions of Sudanese civilians affected by displacement and famine in the wake of the war. This development comes amid reports of escalating violence in Darfur, where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have announced capturing the headquarters of the Sixth Infantry Division, a key base of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in western Sudan, and claim to have taken full control of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
During the meeting, Quartet members reaffirmed their commitment to the September 12 Ministerial Statement and agreed to establish a Joint Operational Committee to enhance coordination on urgent priorities. The US president’s adviser emphasized the commitment to ending the suffering of the Sudanese people. Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem Ahmed is in the US capital with a delegation of military personnel to develop relations between Khartoum and Washington and continue dialogue on issues of common interest.
Indirect preliminary talks between the SAF and the RSF began in Washington D.C. last week, marking a significant step towards formal ceasefire negotiations and efforts to stabilize the country after more than a year and a half of war. A US State Department official confirmed that the two-day meetings in Washington are part of ongoing preparations for official peace talks aimed at arranging both military and political frameworks for Sudan’s post-war transition.
The current talks are indirect, with each delegation meeting separately with US officials under the supervision of the US Deputy Secretary of State. The purpose of this format is to bridge the gap between the two sides before they sit together for direct negotiations. The renewed diplomatic momentum followed the Quartet’s meeting on the sidelines of the UN’s 80th session of the General Assembly in New York on September 24. The meeting represents an advanced step in the negotiation process, building on earlier high-level efforts to bring peace to Sudan.