By Blessing Chinagorom
The United States has invited the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to participate in ceasefire talks mediated by the United States to begin on August 14, 2024, in Switzerland.
Secretary of State, Antony Blinken who made this known in a statement on Tuesday, while building from the earlier Jeddah processes co-facilitated with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Over the past 15 months, the horrific conflict in Sudan has pushed millions to the brink of starvation and displaced nearly 10 million people, it continues to cause immeasurable suffering for the Sudanese people.
Blinken said the United States remains committed to working with partners to end this devastating war, thanked government of Switzerland for offering to host the talks and welcomed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a co-host. 
He revealed that the talks will include the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations as observers.
Blinken added the talks aim to reach a nationwide cessation of violence, enabling humanitarian access to all those in need, develop a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure implementation of any agreement.
He made it clear that these talks do not aim to address broader political issues, says, “As the Sudanese people have long demanded, governance must return to civilians and must play the leading role in defining a process to address political issues and restore Sudan’s democratic transition.
“The scale of death, suffering, and destruction in Sudan is devastating. This senseless conflict must end”.
While the United States is calling upon the SAF and the RSF to attend the talks and approach them constructively, with the imperative to save lives, stop the fighting, and create a path to a negotiated political solution to the conflict.
He said the United States join the Sudanese people’s calls for peace and a democratic transition, and urged the parties to stop the fighting for the sake of a brighter future for Sudan’s children.
