Female delegates to join Sudan peace talks, address gender violence
WASHINGTON — Representatives from female-led Sudanese civil society groups are planning to take part in next week’s Sudan peace talks in Geneva, a significant gesture of inclusion in addressing widespread gender-based violence in the 15-month conflict.
The U.S.-mediated talks, set to begin August 14, aim to resolve the civil war between Sudan’s two rival military factions, alleviate a dire humanitarian crisis, and develop a monitoring and verification system to ensure implementation of any deal.
But these talks are not designed to address broader political issues, according to the State Department.
The United States has invited leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, to discuss a potential cease-fire. The RSF has confirmed its participation in the talks.
While SAF representatives have not yet confirmed their attendance, Sudan's Sovereign Council said on Friday that it has sent a delegation to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for consultations with the U.S. regarding next week’s planned negotiations. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of SAF, also serves as the head of that council.
Entisar Abdelsadig, a senior adviser at the peacebuilding organization Search for Common Ground, said that 12 Sudanese women from various civil society sectors are expected to be in Geneva from August 14 to 24, with Abdelsadig leading the delegation.
She told VOA that the women-led delegation prioritizes protecting people against atrocities, particularly gender-based violence.
She said Sudanese women seek involvement in the monitoring mechanism, which is an anticipated outcome of these talks. If enacted, the mechanism would involve civilian-led confidential reporting to ensure safety, using physical and online channels.
Women also wish to actively participate in distributing humanitarian aid rather than merely receiving it, said Abdelsadig.
“There can be no military victory to this war,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters during Thursday’s briefing.
More than a year of fighting between SAF and paramilitary RSF troops has displaced nearly 10 million people across the Greater Horn of Africa country and left 26 million facing crisis-level hunger.
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with General al-Burhan, reiterating the need for SAF participation in the upcoming cease-fire talks.
Co-hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Switzerland, the Geneva talks — the first significant mediation attempt to resolve the conflict in months — include the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and United Nations as observers.