Saudi Arabia and US discuss situation in Sudan

Saudi Arabian and US officials met in Riyadh on Sunday to discuss the situation in Sudan. Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Bin Abdulkarim Al-Khereiji met US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello as humanitarian conditions in Sudan, particularly in Al-Jazirah State, continue to deteriorate amid the escalating conflict.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the talks focused on the latest developments in Sudan, avenues for bilateral cooperation, and issues of mutual interest.

On Friday, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported that 6,000 families were displaced from the town of Tekina, in the north of Al-Jazirah State, “due to attacks carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).”

Clashes in the central Sudan state reignited on 20 October following the defection of a key RSF commander, Abu Aqla Kikil, who declared his allegiance to the Sudanese Army.

The Sudanese Army and the RSF have been locked in a civil war since mid-April 2023 that has killed over 20,000 people and displaced more than 13 million, according to estimates from the UN and local authorities.

International and UN appeals for an end to the war are intensifying, aiming to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe that has already pushed millions to the brink of famine and death due to severe food shortages. The fighting has spread to 13 of Sudan’s 18 states.

READ: Sudanese army reports recapture of key city from Rapid Support Forces