U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland, who has been chastised by senators for the administration’s handling of Sudan issues, said on Wednesday that U.S. negotiators taking part in talks in Saudi Arabia to extend a ceasefire between rival Sudanese armed forces are “cautiously optimistic.”
Nuland testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday morning that she had spoken with US officials who were present during the previous Saturday’s meetings between the army and the opposition paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Both parties have repeatedly breached cease-fire agreements.
“Our goal for these talks has been very narrowly focused,” Nuland said, “first securing agreement on a declaration of humanitarian principles and then getting a ceasefire that is long enough to facilitate the steady delivery of badly needed services.”
For years, the Sudanese people have been calling for a return to civilian-led rule, and if this stage is successful — and I spoke with our negotiators this morning, who are cautiously optimistic — it will pave the way for expanded talks with additional local, regional, and international stakeholders toward a permanent cessation of hostilities.
Hundreds of thousands of people have left their homes as a consequence of the Khartoum violence that erupted on April 15. A humanitarian catastrophe has also resulted. According to the UN migration agency, the number of people internally displaced inside Sudan has more than doubled in the previous week, surpassing 700,000.
During the hearing, Republican and Democratic senators questioned Nuland about US policy in Sudan, especially the recent evacuation of American citizens since the outbreak of unrest and the inability to impose sanctions after the coup in 2021.
The military coup was a restructuring of the army’s and the RSF’s planned transition to civilian rule under General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.
Disagreements between opposing military units about transfer conditions and timing, however, triggered an unanticipated outbreak of violence in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, in April.
According to Nuland, the US has withheld bilateral financing and debt relief, as well as sanctioned Sudan’s Central Reserve Police, all of which have sparked internal debate. Sanctions imposed by the United States do not apply to Burhan or Hemedti.
Last week, US Vice President Joe Biden signed an executive order establishing the basis for potential sanctions against Sudan, and since then, US Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has stated that Washington is looking into acceptable targets, particularly if the generals refuse to allow humanitarian aid and a ceasefire.
“We now have the sanctions tool to continue to put pressure on them,” she continued.
