Talks between representatives of Sudan's army-backed government and US officials have ended without agreement on whether the military would participate in ceasefire negotiations, due later this week in Geneva, the chief of the Sudanese delegation said on Sunday.
The consultations, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were requested by the Sudanese government. Their inconclusive end was announced by the head of the Sudanese delegation, Minerals Minister Mohammed Abu Nimo.
“The matter of Sudan's participation is now left to the leadership [army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan] and its assessment,” said Mr Abu Nimo in a statement. “There certainly are many details that prompted us to decide to end the consultations without an agreement.”
He did not identify the differences that led to the inconclusive end of the negotiations. There has also been no word yet from Gen Al Burhan on whether he would send a delegation to the talks in Switzerland, which are scheduled to begin on August 14. The US has not commented on the end of the consultations.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces in a ruinous civil war since April 2023, have said they would participate.
The RSF are led by Gen Al Burhan's former ally, Gen Mohamed Dagalo.
Besides the US, the negotiations were to include delegates from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the African Union and the United Nations. The eight-nation regional group known as IGAD, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, was also expected to participate.
The war in Sudan broke out when weeks of tension between the army and the RSF over their future in a hoped-for democratic Sudan boiled over into violence, with fighting engulfing the capital Khartoum as well as western and southern Sudan.
Millions in Sudan now face hunger with famine declared in a large camp for the displaced in the western region of Darfur. At least 10 million people, nearly 20 per cent of the country's population, have been displaced by the fighting.
Both the army and the RSF are accused of war crimes, with the paramilitary facing charges of ethnically-motivated attacks in Darfur and sexual assault. The army is accused of killing hundreds of civilians in air strikes targeting RSF positions located in populated areas.
The US and Saudi Arabia mediated ceasefire talks in Jeddah during the early days of the war, leading to a string of truces that proved short-lived or were completely ignored.
The army has since rejected several invitations from the mediators to resume the talks, insisting that the RSF must first vacate private homes and state installations they have occupied since the start of the war.
Sources close to the consultations in Jeddah said the government's representatives rejected a US request that it send a delegation headed by a senior army commander to this week's talks.
Another point of contention was the Sudanese delegation's request that IGAD be excluded from the process, they added.
The army has accused the bloc, whose eight members are drawn from East and the Horn of Africa as well as the Great Lakes regions, of bias towards the RSF.
Gen Al Burhan has on several occasions reacted angrily to foreign parties according a semblance of legitimacy to the RSF, which he and his aides brand as mutinous and treasonous.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE
Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)
Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
MATCH INFO
Who: France v Italy
When: Friday, 11pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
