Sudan's warring generals have agreed to meet face-to-face as part of efforts to create a cease-fire and begin political discussions to end the country's ongoing war.
Sudan descended into turmoil as escalating tensions between military head Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, erupted into open violence in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere across the country in mid-April.
Since a popular revolt forced the departure of longstanding tyrant Omar al-Bashir in 2019, the country has been in disarray. The brief period of democracy was shattered when two generals joined forces to stage a military coup in October 2021. War broke out 18 months after they split up.
According to the United Nations, the violence has destroyed the country and killed up to 9,000 people by October. However, environmentalists and medical groups claim the true toll is much higher.
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In a meeting of the leaders of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, a grouping of East African countries, both Sudanese generals agreed to "an unconditional cease-fire and resolution of the conflict through political dialogue," as well as to hold a "one-to-one meeting," the bloc said in a statement Sunday.
The administration of US President Joe Biden welcomed the generals' commitment to a cease-fire and face-to-face meeting and urged them to "abide by these commitments and enter talks without delay," according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
IGAD, Saudi Arabia, and the United States are involved in conflict mediation efforts, having mediated rounds of indirect discussions between warring parties as recently as early November.
According to UN data, more over 6 million people have been displaced from their homes, with 1.2 million seeking asylum in neighbouring countries.
