On August 5th, United States (U.S.) Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for Sudan’s military to engage in ceasefire discussions this month in Geneva, the Department of State announced. On Tuesday July 30th, Sudan’s government accepted the invitation to peace talks to join efforts to end the war. In urging the Sudanese army to participate in the discussions, peace talks are officially underway.

Blinken had a call with Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to talk of a ceasefire. Burhan claimed the importance of addressing concerns of Sudan’s government before beginning deliberations with the U.S. After suggestions about attending U.S. sponsored peace meetings in Geneva, Sudan’s government came out with a statement: “The government made clear that any negotiations before … full withdrawal and an end to expansion (by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces) will not be acceptable to the Sudanese people.” Before any of these meetings take place in Geneva, the government requested gathering with U.S. officials to discuss plans for the peace meetings.

The talks are to be held by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, who are once again trying to resolve the conflict. Ending a war is no small mission; both groups will need to be highly flexible and bring transparency to the table. The best solution for ending the conflict is through diplomatic talks and mediators. Peaceful solutions will arise from talks and aim to prevent any further conflict between the groups.

The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (S.A.F.) and the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.) broke out on April 15th, 2023. The groups are in a power struggle for control over the state and its resources. The conflict has continued to spread rapidly across the country. In extreme cases, Darfur, a region in Western Sudan, has seen an increase in mass killings and has reports of ethnic cleansing. Talks between the groups have taken place before in 2023 but did not achieve much success. With the horror and the current state of affairs in Sudan a step forward may be possible.

The R.S.F. and the S.A.F. have caused a large humanitarian crisis with a fifth of the population (over eight million) displaced and famine spread across the country. The Geneva talks that will be hosted on August 14th will be the first major event in months to moderate between the two sides of Sudan to end the 15th-month war. A negotiated talk between the groups will be the only solution to ending this crisis.