Sudan's warring sides reach deal in Saudi to protect civilians, humanitarian aid
A senior Biden administration official warned on Wednesday that Washington may employ economic sanctions against Sudan's warring parties if they violate the humanitarian framework.
Representatives of Sudan's warring sides have signed to a framework agreement to protect civilians and allow for humanitarian aid flows into the country, US officials confirmed Thursday.
"This is not ceasefire," a senior US State Department official told reporters on Thursday. "This is an affirmation of their obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly with regard to the treatment of civilians, and the need to create space for humanitarians to operate."
The senior officials described the agreement, which was obtained by Al-Monitor, as a "first step" towards reining in the fighting.
US diplomats led by the State Department's top Africa policy official, Molly Phee, are in Jeddah mediating talks between representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and rival Rapid Support Forces militia after widespread violence broke out between the factions on April 15, threatening to plunge Sudan into civil war.
