MEDIA STATEMENT

IMPORTANT STATEMENT ON JEDDAH TALKS

To our esteemed fellow citizens within our beloved country and abroad, and for local, regional, and international opinion,

The war ignited on April 15, 2023, by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and its backers linked to the dissolved National Congress Party and the former regime, was not started to address the Sudanese crisis. This crisis emerged as a result of the SAF and its patrons from the former regime attempting to usurp power and hijack the people's revolution.

From the very first day of the war, it was clear to us that the SAF merely sought to obstruct the political resolution. We realized that achieving peace is impossible with those who aim to overturn the will of the people and restore a regime that the nation had already overthrown.

We are aware of the SAF's hostile plans to thwart any resolution to this war. We value the efforts of Saudi Arabia and the United States to ease our people's hardships in this conflict.

To clarify our position, we would like to state the following:

• The representatives of the SAF and its patrons from the former regime would not have been able to leave their confinement to participate in the Jeddah negotiations if the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had not assured the security of the delegations and created a safe passage for them.

• From the first day in Jeddah, the SAF tried hard to get ambassadors from the former regime, who are connected to the Islamic Movement Group, into the negotiation team. They wanted to make it look like the war is between the RSF and Sudan. But our team, who knows well their trickery and dishonesty from the past three decades, was wise enough to see through them.

• The delegation representing the SAF and its patrons from the former regime was fragmented and lacked unity, with various members providing differing perspectives. This lack of unity was evident in their failure to commit to the ceasefire terms that were signed and their inability to reach their intended objectives due to the multitude of decision-making leaders within the SAF. It became clear that the delegation was manipulated by the leaders of the dissolved National Congress Party, who were controlling the negotiations from behind the scenes.

• The allegations made by the SAF and its backers from the former regime and their insincere attempts to gain the sympathy of the Sudanese people by highlighting civilian suffering are not factually or rationally correct. Those who initiate a war, launch air raids, and employ heavy artillery, resulting in the loss of countless lives and destruction of homes and public institutions, cannot lay claim to concern for civilian suffering.

• The SAF delegation in Jeddah did not facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, as they falsely assert. Instead, their presence aimed to orchestrate the misappropriation and political manipulation of such aid, thereby penalizing those affected in several states, including Darfur, Kordofan, White Nile, Blue Nile, and Khartoum. Our citizens are aware that food and medical aid are sold in markets, with a significant portion redirected to assist SAF personnel.

• The SAF and its backers linked to the former regime intentionally obstructed the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Darfur and Kordofan region via land and air, using the pretence of skewed national sovereignty. In reality, they aimed to degrade the people of these regions and hold the RSF responsible, even though the RSF has repeatedly called for the opening of airports in the Darfur and Kordofan states to deliver aid to those affected.

• The SAF delegation continues to fabricate information, stating that their discussions with our delegation were indirect. The truth is, they engaged in direct dialogue with our delegation under the facilitation of the Saudi mediation team.

• The SAF and its patrons from the former regime sought to accomplish via negotiation what they failed to achieve on the battlefield. They demanded the lifting of the siege imposed on their leaders, the provision of safe exit corridors, and the delivery of supplies to their command centers. These demands were unequivocally rejected by our delegation. The RSF maintains that these conditions will not be met unless a comprehensive agreement is signed to resolve the Sudanese crisis.

• The unfounded allegations about the presence of our forces in public hospitals and facilities are a bid to breach the siege on military headquarters located in residential areas, particularly the SAF General Command. These false claims are used as a pretext to justify civilian casualties caused by airstrikes and heavy weaponry, which have led to the destruction of numerous homes and loss of innocent lives.

• Under the guidance of facilitators, a 5+5 Committee was established, with the inclusion of impartial parties, to inspect hospitals and public facilities to verify they were free from military presence. The committee visited hospitals, water, and electricity plants within RSF-controlled areas and compiled a joint report, which was presented to the facilitators. The report confirmed the absence of any military presence by the RSF in these facilities. Subsequently, the SAF delegation withdrew its members from the committee as the report did not align with their aspirations.

• The Agreement on Ceasing Hostilities was delayed due to the stubborn demands of the SAF and its backers from the former regime for aid and an end to the siege on their leaders, despite claiming to care about civilian suffering.

• We are still in Jeddah, respecting the Sudanese people's rejection of war escalation. We aim to counter calls for conflict led by those evading justice under military intelligence protection.

• Our presence in and commitment to the Jeddah talks reflect our dedication to Saudi Arabia and the United States, which have not announced any suspension of the talks.

• The SAF and its patrons from the former regime can not hide their defeats and plans for reviving past injustices. They can not win through haste and savagery what they lost on the battlefields.

The SAF and its backers from the former regime should know vigilance is constant, and any attempts to escape will not work. We have promised and will certainly send them to the dustbin of history.  We will never back down.

Office of the Official Spokesperson

Rapid Support Forces