Addressing the opening of humanitarian corridors, the protection of infrastructure and a ceasefire monitoring mechanism

Preliminary talks in Jeddah between the two parties to the conflict in Sudan. Saudi Arabia and America welcome

Saudi embassy staff and Royal Saudi Navy officials at the port of Jeddah assist a civilian in disembarking as part of a group evacuated from Sudan. Reuters

Sudan's warring sides began talks yesterday in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, aimed at consolidating a fragile ceasefire after three weeks of heavy fighting that has killed hundreds and pushed the country to the brink of collapse.

In detail, Saudi Arabia and the United States welcomed in a statement the start of preliminary talks between representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in order to "draw a roadmap for the cessation of military operations."

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America urge both parties to feel their responsibilities towards the Sudanese people and seriously engage in these talks, draw a roadmap for talks to stop military operations, emphasize ending the conflict and spare the Sudanese people from further suffering, and ensure humanitarian access to the affected areas," according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America note the efforts of all countries and organizations that have expressed their support for holding these talks, including the Quartet, the League of Arab States and the tripartite mechanism," the statement said.

The statement added: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America urge the continuation of concerted international efforts for broad negotiations involving all Sudanese parties."

The statement did not provide a timeframe for the talks, which follow concerted efforts by Riyadh and other international powers to pressure Sudan's warring parties to sit down at the negotiating table.

Officials from the army and the Rapid Support Forces said the talks would address the opening of humanitarian corridors in Khartoum and the nearby city of Omdurman, which has been the epicentre of the fighting.

A military official said they would also discuss providing protection for civilian infrastructure, including health facilities that are severely overwhelmed and severely understaffed and in medical supplies.

The RSF official said they would also discuss a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, one of a series of truces that have failed to stop the fighting.

The Sudanese army delegation includes three officers and an ambassador, and the RSF delegation includes three officers, according to Saudi media.

The civilian forces signatories to the framework agreement welcomed the Jeddah talks and expressed their hope that they would lead to a cessation of hostilities and address the humanitarian situation in order to pave the way for a sustainable peaceful political solution.

She considered in a statement that these talks constitute a first step to stop the accelerated collapse that Sudan has witnessed since the outbreak of the war in mid-April, noting that she hopes that the leadership of the armed forces and the rapid support will take courageous decisions that will triumph for the voice of wisdom, stop the fighting, and end the suffering experienced by the people as a result of the war.

But both sides said they would only discuss a humanitarian truce and not negotiate an end to the war.

RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, said he hoped the talks would achieve the desired goal of opening safe passage for civilians.

Ambassador Dafallah al-Hajj, envoy of the President of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had stressed in an exclusive interview with the Saudi channel "Al-Arabiya" not to accept any proposals to discuss the issue of reconciliation with the Rapid Support Forces, stressing that the army's priority lies in resolving the battle.

Burhan's envoy also confirmed that the army accepted the Saudi-American initiative to discuss and monitor the truce mechanism, noting that the army delegation will not meet in Jeddah directly with the RSF delegation.

In a related context, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan received, on Friday, a phone call from his US counterpart Antony Blinken, during which they discussed events in Sudan.

Although the parties to the conflict in Sudan announced a 72-hour extension of the truce, fighting is still raging in Khartoum despite the agreement of both sides to send a delegation to Saudi Arabia for talks.

Army planes yesterday launched air strikes in Khartoum's Riyadh district. In the city of Bahri, on the other side of the Nile from Khartoum, the roar of warplanes was heard on Friday night and explosions that panicked residents.

At least 550 people, including civilians, had been killed and more than 4900,<> injured as of Monday, according to Sudan's health ministry.

Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have been displaced inside Sudan or crossed into neighbouring countries as fighting continues in urban areas.

The U.N. refugee agency has estimated that the number of Sudanese fleeing to neighboring countries will reach 860,445, and that aid agencies will need $<> million to help them.